


Love Isn't Supposed to Hurt

by SomeSouthParkFan



Series: The Trilogy [3]
Category: South Park
Genre: Betrayal, Domestic Violence, Family Reunions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:45:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 64,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16699219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeSouthParkFan/pseuds/SomeSouthParkFan
Summary: This story focuses on the relationship between Kenny and Butters.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't already, you may want to read The Unthinkable and New Beginnings (in that order) before reading this as it takes place 8 years after New Beginning.

Love Isn't Supposed To Hurt

Prologue

Kenny's POV

After a long day in the office, I arrive home to get dinner started for Lee and I. When we first started dating, I took cooking lessons. I was lousy cook before, I've stepped it up a bit, but I still have ways to go to catch up to Lee. He usually cooks on his days off, but when he works, sometimes he doesn't get home until midnight. I like to have a meal prepared for him.

I'm making filet mignon, roasted potatoes, and asparagus. Lee loves eating steak and potatoes so I try to make sure he has it a few times a week.

Just as I'm taking the food out of the oven, my phone rings and I look and see its Kyle. "Hello?" I answer.

"Dude! I finally got a hold of you!" Kyle tells me. "Did you get my Evite?"

"About Karen's surprise party? Yeah I got it."

"Are you and Butters coming?"

"We're going to try to make it. Lee isn't sure if he'll have clients that day."

"Oh come on Kenny! It's your sister's 30th birthday!"

"I know, we're really trying!"

"Dude, you haven't been here in six years! It would mean so much to Karen."

"She doesn't even know about the party."

"Well when she finds out she's going to wonder why you're not there."

"How's Karen doing anyway?" I ask trying to change the subject.

"She's doing much better. She's on medication for her postpartum depression and she seems to be getting better as each day passes."

"That's good." Karen just had another baby girl named Kristen about six weeks ago and had really bad postpartum depression. That's part of the reason why Kyle is planning this surprise party to help lift her spirits up. "How's Kyla adjusting to her new baby sister?"

"Very well actually! She really loves being a big sister and she helped out Karen a lot especially when I'm at work."

"Good, good." I hear the door knob turning. It must be Lee. "I have to go Kyle!" I tell him quickly.

"Okay, just let me know what you decide as soon as possible."

"I will." I quickly hang up and put my phone down as Lee walks in. I run over to him and give him a hug. "Hi baby! I missed you!"

He pushes me off of him and glares at me. "Who were you talking to?"

I look away from him. "I-I was talking to Kyle..."

"Kyle from work?" He starts walking closer towards me.

I start backing up. "No, Kyle Broflovski!"

He stops and glares at me and then smiles. "Oh, why didn't you say so? What did he want?"

"He wanted to know if we're going to Karen's surprise party." I tell him as I start fixing his plate.

He sits down at the table. "I told you I don't think it's a good idea."

"Come on Lee! I haven't seen my family in six years!" I put his plate down in front of him. "Please Lee?" I give him sad puppy dog eyes.

"Don't do that..."

"I really want to see my family! I miss them! I have two nieces that I need to meet." Kevin and Missy also have a daughter named Katie, she's three. "Plus I don't want Karen to be disappointed that I didn't show up to her party."

He shakes his head. "No! I know you only want to go because you're hoping to run into Stan now that he's out of jail."

"That's not true!" I tell him as I hand him a glass of water."

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I know you're still in love with Stan!"

"No I'm not! I got over him a long time ago!"

“Oh that’s right! You’re still in love with that black guy!” He says in a mocking tone. “Do you want to go back to see him?”

“No! I’m over him too and he lives in California.”

“Then you’re going for Stan like I said before!” 

“No I’m not! I really want to see my family…” 

"Don't fucking lie to me!" He yells throwing the glass of water on the ground which causes me to jump. 

On instinct, I bend down and start cleaning up the glass. "I'm not lying Lee..." I accidentally cut my hand on the glass in the process of picking it up.

He takes a deep breath and kneels down beside me. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He takes the broken glass from me and examines my hand that's now bleeding. "I'll clean this up and take care of your hand."

"Thank you..." I tell him softly as he throws the broken glass in the trash. He goes to the bathroom and gets a rag and some peroxide. He puts some peroxide on the rag.

"This may sting a little..." He tells me as he puts the rag on my hand to clean the wound. "I'm sorry I threw the glass..."

"I'm sorry I got you that upset." I look away from him.

"Hey, look at me." I look at him. "It's not that I don't want you to go to the party, I just think for your protection it's best you don't go. I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt!"

"I'm not going to get hurt. I just want to see my family." I smile.

"The answer is no. Now I don't want to hear about this party again, do you understand me?"

I nod. "Yes sir."

"Good." He grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug. His hug is almost suffocating. "This is for your own good."

"I know...I love you Lee..."

He pulls away from me. “I’m going out, I’ll be back later.” With that he leaves. I sigh and put away the food he doesn’t eat and fix my own plate. I sit down and eat alone…again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Butters is jealous of Kenny’s coworker. 
> 
> Kenny tells Kyle they won’t be able to attend the party.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Kenny's POV

I'm in the office finishing up some last minute test on our server. I'm the Lead Server Technician. When I first came out here, I was the IT Project Manager. I was stuck working long hours and had less time to spend with Lee. Lee hated that I was constantly working long hours so about a year ago, I talked to my boss at the time about stepping down on my position. He didn't like the idea at first, but then he agreed. The former Lead Server Technician, Freeman and I ended up switching positions because I felt that he was the best candidate for the job. He's a young guy, only 26, so he was more than happy to move up. I hired him right after he graduated college because I saw a lot of potential in him and so far he's lived up to it and then some! Sometimes it does feel weird to report to him since it use to be the other way around. I don't mind though. I have more time for my personal life and I was able to retain my salary. This is one of those once in awhile rare nights I had to work late.

I shut down my computer and grab my briefcase. I'm trying to hurry so I don't miss the bus as it's the last bus that comes here for the day. Lee and I only have one car so we agreed it would be best for him to take it since his schedule varies. As I'm walking out, I see Kyle who walks up next to me.

"Hey Ken. What are you still doing here?" He asks me.

I look up at the taller man. "I had a last minute test to run on the server. I had to wait until everyone left before I could start it." I explain to him even though he knows this already.

"I'm still here, so everyone hasn't left yet."

My eyes widen. "You're right! I better make sure the test is running okay."

He starts laughing. "Ken, I'm kidding! Go home and relax!"

"I'm going, I’m going."

"Do you need a ride? I think the last bus has already left."

"Really? I thought the last one came at 7:30?"

He shakes his head and laughs. "Obviously it's been awhile since you've worked this late huh?" I nod. "The last bus comes at 6:45."

"Oh." I wish I had known this ahead of time.

"My offer for a ride home still stands..." Kyle offers again.

I want to say yes, but Lee doesn't care for Kyle at all. I don't know how I will explain it to him. "No thanks, I'll probably catch a cab or call Uber."

He shrugs. "All right." We continue to walk out together and chat on the way.

When we get outside, I notice Lee's car parked out front. "Oh Lee's here!" I say surprised.

"Oh good, at least now you can save some money." He smiles.

I see Lee get out of the car and he doesn't look happy at all! "I'll see you tomorrow Kyle." I tell him trying to keep a smile on my face so he doesn't suspect anything.

"See you Ken!" He waves to Lee. "Hey Lee!"

Lee glares at him before nodding. "Kyle..." As I approach the car, Lee grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug once again nearly suffocating me. "Get in the car." He whispers angrily in my ear. He lets go of me and looks at Kyle. "Bye Kyle!" He says in a snarky tone before he gets back in the car.

I notice Kyle waving once again. I look at Lee who's looking forward. "Thanks for picking me up..."

He's silent for a few minutes before speaking. "Were you really working late?"

I nod. "Yes."

"With Kyle?"

I shake my head. "No, I was focusing on my own work. I didn't know Kyle was there until I was leaving."

He doesn't say anything for the rest of the ride home. I don't know what's going through his mind right now. I hope he believes what I'm saying because I'm telling him the truth.

When we arrive home, we walk in the door and Lee slams it shut. I jump and look at him. He’s breathing really hard. He starts walking towards me and I start backing up. “I’m going to give you one more time to tell me the fucking truth! What the fuck happened in that office?” 

“Nothing Lee I swear! We were working, but we weren’t even anywhere near each other!” I start shaking. 

He grabs a lamp off an end table and throws it in my direction, I quickly move and it hits the wall shattering into pieces. He lets out a loud growl. “Now look what you made me do!” This time he walks towards me and stands right up on me. He’s breathing really hard and I can see out of the corner of my eye he’s looking down at me. I don’t even want to look at him because he looks pretty scary when he’s mad. “It’s time for you to look for another job!” 

“What?” 

“You heard what the hell I said! I don’t want you working anywhere near him! I know you have a crush on him!” 

I shake my head. “I don’t have a crush on Kyle. He’s straight and he’s married.” 

“So fucking what? I see how you look at him! You practically have hearts in your eyes!”

“That’s not true Lee! I only have eyes for you!” 

“STOP LYING TO ME DAMNIT!” He screams right in my ear. I swear I feel like I just lost some of my hearing. “This is exactly why I REFUSE to let you go back to South Park! You still have feelings for Stan!” 

Oh God, not this argument again… “Lee, I don’t have feelings for Stan, just like I don’t have feelings for Kyle.” I try to hug him, but he’s not receptive. “I love you…” 

I notice he’s starting to calm down. He then pulls a razor out of his pocket and my eyes widen. “I just hate that I have to compete for your love and attention…” He rolls up his sleeve. 

“Lee, what are you doing?” Then he does it, he cuts his own arm with a razor blade. 

“If you don’t want to be with me, then just leave! But I’m not going to live without you!” He cuts himself again. 

“Please stop doing that!” I start crying. “I love you and only you! I’m not going to leave you!” 

“Do you promise? You promise you’ll never leave me? Ever?” 

I nod. “I promise! I’m not going anywhere.” I move closer to him. “Please stop hurting yourself.” 

He puts the razor blade back in his pocket and rolls down his sleeve. He pulls me into a tight hug again. “If you ever try to leave me, if I ever see you with Kyle or any other man again, I’ll fucking kill you!” He pushes me away. He looks at the broken lamp. “Clean up this mess!” He demands and grabs his car keys. “You also better have my dinner ready when I get back!” 

I look at him in shock. “You’re leaving?” 

“Of course I’m leaving!” 

“Where are you going? Shouldn’t we try to work things out?” 

“What’s there to work out? I told you where I stand and I meant it!” He turns towards the door. 

“Please, just tell me where you’re going…” 

He turns back towards me and then gets in my face. “You want to ask me that again?” 

I shake my head. “No sir…” I really hate when he gets angry and scary like this.

“That’s what I thought!" With that he walks out.

Kyle’s POV

Kevin and I are at a bar having a few drinks and discussing plans for Karen’s surprise party. “Dude, she’s going to be so surprised!” I tell Kevin. 

“Yeah she is.” He takes a drink. “Has Kenny gotten back to you yet?” 

I shake my head. “He told me he would let me know soon, but that was a few weeks ago. Have you heard from him at all?” 

“I don’t talk to him as much as I use to.” 

I raise my eyebrow. “You don’t find that odd?” 

He shakes his head. “No, he told me he’s been really busy at work and then spending a lot his free time with Butters. Or at least when they both have free time which from what he said doesn’t happen often.” 

“I see.” I don’t care what Kevin says, this isn’t like Kenny at all. He’s always been really close to Karen and Kevin and now neither one of them hardly ever hears from him. There’s something fishy going on.

“Why don’t you go ahead and call him now?” Kevin suggests. 

“Good idea. I’ll put him on speaker.” I call Kenny. 

“Hey Kyle….” He whispers. 

“Hey, it’s me and Kevin.” 

“Hey bro!” Kevin yells out. 

“Hi…” He whispers once again. 

“Dude, why are you whispering?” 

“It’s 10:30 here and Lee is sleeping. I don’t want to wake him up.” The sounds like a lie to me. 

“Oh dude, I’m sorry I forgot about the time difference. Did I wake you?” 

“No, I was just finishing cleaning the kitchen.” 

“Sorry again. I won’t keep you, I just wanted to follow up about Karen’s party. Are you guys coming?” 

“I’m so sorry, we’re not going to be able to make it.” I hear a little disappointment in his voice when he says that.

“Why not?” Kevin asks him. 

“Lee’s going to be busy with clients that whole weekend. He can’t cancel any of them.” 

“So why can’t you come alone?” 

“Come on Kevin, don’t be like that. I wouldn’t ask you to come out here alone if Missy couldn’t take off work.” 

“You have a point. It’s just we haven’t seen you in six years. Your visit is long overdue.”

“I know and I promise you guys I’ll be out there as soon as I can.” 

“You’ve been saying that for six years…” Kevin reminds him. 

“I know, but-I got to go. I’ll talk to guys another time!” 

“Kenny, wait!” I call out to him, but it’s too late he’s already hung up. I look over at Kevin. “So you don’t find it odd at all?” 

He shrugs. “Maybe he’s just messing with us. How much do you want to bet that he’ll really be here for the party?” 

“Maybe…” I’m just not buying it. There’s something going on with Kenny that he’s not saying. I think it might be time for me to give Butters a call…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kyle convinces Butters to agree to come to the party. 
> 
> Butters brings home a guest which causes trouble between him and Kenny.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Butters' POV

I'm finishing up with my last client for the evening. I'm helping her train for a bikini show she's doing next month. She stopped working out for awhile so our session was intense because she wants to be in good shape for next month.

"Thanks Lee! That was a very intense workout!" My client tells me as she wipes the sweat off her forehead with a towel.

"You're welcome Jessica! But don't forget, your diet is as important as the workout. Try to cut back on those carbs for the next month."

"Ugh, I'm trying!" She tells me.

"You want to look your best in that bikini, right?"

She nods. "Of course I do."

"Then you better try your hardest to cut back on those carbs. They'll go right to your stomach!"

"You're right! Thanks for everything Lee!"

"You're welcome! I'll see you soon!" She smiles just before heading to the locker room. I grab my materials and head towards the door.

"Hey Lee!" I turn and see my receptionist has called me. "There's a phone call for you."

"Transfer it to my office." I tell her and she nods. I head back to my office to take the call. "Lee Stotch, may I help you?"

"Butters! It's Kyle! How's going dude?"

I grumble. I honestly hate being called Butters now. It reminds me of when I was young, weak little kid. I'm a grown man now and far from weak! "Hey Kyle, what's up man?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Karen's party." I roll my eyes. I should've known. Now I have to make nice and agree to go.

"What party?" I pretend to sound surprised.

There's silence on his end for a moment. "...Kenny didn't tell you?"

"No..."

"I'm planning a surprise 30th birthday party for Karen next month. I can't believe he didn't tell you! He told me you guys wouldn't be able to make it because you have clients that day and won't be able to take off?"

I chuckle. "He told you that? What a little stinker! That's the benefit of running your own business, you can set your own schedule."

"Does that mean you guys will come?" I can hear how excited he sounds.

"Of course Kyle. I know Kenny wouldn't want to miss an important milestone in his sister's life! I'll book our flight as soon as I get home."

"Great dude! I'm looking forward to seeing you guys!"

"Likewise. Take care." We hang up. Great, Kenny gets his fucking way...this time! I'm going to make sure to let him know the rules before we leave.

Kenny's POV

I just finished fixing dinner for Lee and I. He called me and requested that I make spaghetti and meatballs, Caesar salad, and garlic bread for dinner. He even asked me to get a bottle of expensive red wine. I don't drink, but he said he wanted to have a romantic evening so the wine is necessary. That was all I needed to hear! It's been so long since we've had one. He's been so angry and stressed and he usually takes it out on me so I was shocked when he told me he wanted to have a romantic evening. I'm really hoping that maybe he's finally going to propose to me.

While dinner was cooking, I changed into a really nice outfit and styled my hair nice and neat. I'm hoping this romantic evening will be a fresh start for the two of us. In the beginning, Lee was so sweet and loving. Once we bought this house and he started working more, he changed. He became more controlling, demanding, and angry. Sometimes I feel like I can never say the right thing to him without pissing him off. Plus I can't even have a friendly chat with another man without him accusing me of flirting with them or trying to cheat on him with them. He'll get angry and cuss me out or throw things at me. Or tell me how I'm ugly and pathetic and no one else will ever want me. I almost ended things with him two years ago and he tried to commit suicide. I felt so guilty that I stayed and we went to therapy. We stopped going because he didn't think we needed a therapist to work out our issues. This is part of the reason why we haven't gotten married yet. He doesn't think he can fully trust me enough to marry me. I'm not going to think about the past anymore, I'm going to focus on our future. Our happy future!

I see the car pull up, so I quickly fix our plates and set them on the table. I pour him a glass of wine and then I light a candle and dim the lights. I finish just in time as he's walking in. "Welcome-" I notice he's not alone...he's with a woman. My jaw drops.

"Close your mouth boy, flies might get in it!" He tells me as I shut my mouth.

"Who's that?" The woman asks him. I don't know why, but looking at her, I swear she looks familiar.

"That's my little brother Kenny that I told you about." Little brother?

"Oh yeah, that's right." She walks over to me and extends her hand. "Hi Kenny, I'm Jessica."

"Hi." I say as I shake her hand.

"You set this all up for us?" She asks me.

"Umm..." I’m so confused as to what the hell is going on.

"I asked him to put together a romantic setting for us. He's good at these things!" Lee steps in.

"Thank you so much! This looks so romantic!" Jessica tells me.

Lee looks at me. “You did a great job. Now run along little bro, as you can see I have a date. By the way, there’s something I need to talk to you about later on.” What does he want to talk to me about? I want to talk to him about this situation and I can’t wait until later. 

I clear my throat. "Umm…Lee? Can we talk? Please?" I stammer.

"Now?" He asks.

I nod. "It won't take long, I promise."

He turns to Jessica. "Sorry about this, I'll be right back." He kisses her on the cheek. We go up to our room and he closes the door and turns on the radio. He folds his arms and glares at me. "What do you want? This better be important!"

"Lee, what's going on? I thought we were having a romantic evening."

He starts laughing. "What gave you that idea?"

“You called me and asked me to cook this dinner for a romantic evening.” 

He nods. “I did say that, but that wasn’t for you that was for Jessica.” 

Ouch! That hurt! Man, I feel so stupid. I look down at my attire and then back at him. “I even put on this nice outfit for you…”

He laughs again. “You’re fucking pathetic you know that! Why would I want to have a romantic evening with you? I can’t even have sex with you!” 

I lower my head. “We can try…” 

“No way dude! I’ve tried that twice already and both times you cried because you were in pain and ended up bleeding for weeks! Since I can’t get it from you so I have to get it from someone!” 

“You’re going to do this while I’m here?” 

He nods. “You’re damn right!” 

“I can’t believe you would cheat on me…” 

“You think this is the first time?” I look at him. “I’ve cheated on you with men and women. I can only take so much dick sucking! I need to put it in other holes besides your mouth!” 

“I have to get out of here.” I try to leave, but he grabs me and pins me up against the wall. 

“Where are you going to go? Huh? You don’t have a car and I control all our finances!” He’s right about that, but I can’t stay here for this.

“I don’t want to stay here and listen to you screw this girl!

“You don’t have a choice now do you? 

I take a deep breath. Be brave Kenny, be brave. “I can leave…” 

He bends down so we’re at eye level. He narrows his eyes. “I’ll kill you and then myself if you try to leave. Is that what you want?” He says in a dark voice. I shake my head. “Do you still want to leave?” 

“No. Please don’t do this Lee, I love so much. I would never cheat on you.” 

He releases his grip. “Oh please, I’m certain you’ve cheated on me with Kyle.” 

“No I haven’t. I told you he’s a happily married man.” 

He laughs once again. “Are you sure about that?” 

I nod. “Yes, he worships the ground his wife walks on!” 

“If he’s so happy, then why am I banging his wife?” 

My eyes widen. No wonder Jessica looked familiar. “You’re sleeping with Kyle’s wife?” 

He smiles and nods. “I sure am!” He grabs me forcefully by the arm and drags me over to the closet and pushes me in there. He closes the door and locks it. He switched the door knob around so that it locks from the outside. “You’re going to stay in there and enjoy the show. Make sure you go back and tell your buddy Kyle all about it!” He turns the radio off and I assume he left the room. 

I can’t believe it, he’s been accusing me of cheating when he’s the one that’s been cheating this whole time! Now he’s locked me in the closet where I have to listen to him have sex with someone else! I can take this anymore! I don’t care if he tries to kill me or kills himself, I have to get out of this relationship. I just don’t know how…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Butters tells Kenny they’re going to South Park and the conversation turns ugly.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kenny's POV

I'm at work and last night's events are still on my mind. I can't believe that Lee has been cheating on me. He's cheating on me with my boss's wife! I want to tell Kyle, but I don't know how he'll respond. He may think I'm lying and fire me.

"Ken?" I snap out of my daydream and look up and see Kyle at my cubicle. "Are you all right?"

I look away from him. I can't even look at him anymore. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You've been really quiet today. Quieter than usual."

I nod. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Good. I came by because I was thinking about getting tickets for my wife and I to go to that Lady Gaga concert." I squirm at the mention of his wife. "I was thinking, I could get two more if you and Lee want to come."

I feel like I'm going to be sick. "Thanks, but Lee and I aren't really into Lady Gaga." I lie.

"Really? I thought you said you loved her?"

I really wish he would just leave. I'm feeling very uncomfortable having a conversation with him. "Her last few songs have sucked." I shrug.

"Well that's too bad. We should get together sometime and have a couple's night." He smiles.

I really want to tell him so badly, but I can't. "I don't think that would be a good idea..."

"Why not?"

"I just don't." I stand up, still avoiding eye contact with him. "Excuse me..." I head to the bathroom. I hear him call out to me, but I keep going. I had to get up and leave before I ended up blurted out his wife's big secret.

That evening, I'm at home heating up the leftover spaghetti. I'm glad there's still plenty leftover. Honestly it doesn't look like they ate much of it.

Once I finish, I clean up my mess plus the dishes from last night. Lee left me in the closet all night so I didn't get a chance to clean up. I figured I better get it done before he gets home just so he'll stay in a good mood.

As soon as I get the last dish in the dishwasher, I hear Lee pull up. I quickly grab the leftovers and put them in the microwave for him. Just as the microwave stops, he walks in the door. I set his plate at the table.

He sits down at the table without even greeting me. I see a look of anger on his face. "What the fuck is this?" He asks me.

"It's dinner..." I tell him.

"This is the same shit from last night!"

"I know, there were plenty of leftovers..."

"I don't want to fucking eat leftovers! You know you're supposed to cook my damn dinner every night!"

"I didn't want to waste all that spaghetti..."

The next thing I know, Lee grabs the plate and throws it at me. The plate misses me, but most of the spaghetti lands on me. "Then you fucking eat it!"

"I'm sorry Lee." I say submissively as I don't want to argue with him over this. "What would you like to eat?" I ask as I start cleaning the spaghetti off of me.

"I want steak again! NOW!"

"Yes sir!" I go to the refrigerator and notice there's no steak in there. "Umm, all the steak is frozen..."

He stands up and starts walking towards me. I stare at him in shock because I'm not sure what he's going to do and for some reason, I've seem to have lost all feeling in my feet to run away. He grabs my arm and squeezes it tightly. "The fuck you mean the steak is frozen? Why the hell didn't you take it out?"

"B-because I didn't have time this morning. I-I'm really sorry."

He pushes me to the ground. "You ARE sorry, you know that? You're a fucking pathetic little turd!"

I nod. "You're right, I am..." I try to stand up, but he pushes me back down. This time harder than the first time. "Ouch, what was that for?"

"That's for having your stupid brother in law call me!"

I'm totally confused. "Kyle called you? Why?"

He glares at me. He raises his hand as if he's going to smack me and I flinch and he puts his hand down. "I know you're stupid as hell, but don't play stupid with me right now! You know damn well why Kyle fucking called me!"

I shake my head. "No I don't!"

The next thing I know, he punches me in the face. Lee has never struck me before so I'm really in shock! I've been punched in the face before, but this is the hardest I've ever been punched. I can feel my nose immediately leaking blood and my eyes watering.

"You still want to play dumb? Kyle called me about that stupid fucking party! Congratulations you got your way! We're fucking going!"

"Really?" I quickly give a weak half smile, but I'm hoping Lee didn't notice.

"Are you kidding me? Are you really fucking smiling right now?"

I shake my head. "No sir!"

He pins me down and begins punching me repeatedly! I cry and beg for him to stop, but he keeps hitting me. He's mainly punching me in the chest and stomach. Each punch harder than the previous one!

"You want to fucking go crying to Kyle because I said we can't go to the party?" He punches me again. "If you think you're going to go see your lover Stan while we're there you have another thing coming!" Punch, punch. "He won't want you anyway once I finish rearranging your face!" Punch, punch, punch!

"Lee!" I cry our weakly. "Please...you-you're hurting me..." He punches me several more times and then I start throwing up.

He finally stops hitting me. "You're a fucking pathetic little BITCH!" With that he storms out of the house.

I struggle to get up, but I'm in so much pain that I can barely move. I feel like he may have broken a few bones. Once I finally get to my feet, I struggle to make it to my bedroom. I feel so dizzy and lightheaded. I lie down on my and I pray that I'm still alive in the morning...

The next morning, I someone managed to get up, get dressed, get to the bus stop, and get to work on time. The pain has gotten much worse and I'm still feeling lightheaded, but Lee was home when I woke up and I didn't want to be in the house with him. I've been at work for two hours and I've barely gotten any work done because this pain is killing me. I feel like crying, but I'm trying to hold it in together because I'm at work.

"Hey Ken." I hear Kyle say as he approaches my cubicle.

"Hi..." I reply without looking.

"Ken, Colleen just came by office and she told me she's concerned about you." Colleen is another server technician. "She said your nose looks a little crooked and you're walking like you're hurt."

"I'm okay..." I tell him.

"Then look at me. It's rude to not make eye contact when your boss is talking to you." I look at him and his eyes widen. "Wow, Ken what happened to you? Are you okay?"

I shake my head, then I can't help it I completely break down. "I'm in a lot of pain Kyle! My chest hurts, my stomach hurts, my face feels numb, and I feel like I'm going to pass out! I’ve never felt like this before!” I continue balling. 

He kneels down beside me. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He asks me in a gentle tone.

I can't tell him about the fight with Lee. If I do, the only thing that will happen is Lee will attack me again. I shake my head. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want the pain to stop..."

"Do you want me to take you to the emergency room?"

In any other case, I would turn down the offer, but I know I would be a fool to not go in this case. I know I need medical attention. I nod. "Please..."

He nods. "Come on, I'll help you walk to the car..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> A desperate Kenny attempts to reach out to Kevin.
> 
> Butters tries to make things right with Kenny.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kenny's POV

As promised, Kyle took me to the ER. I've been here for two days and I'm still in pain. My nose is broken, I have several cracked ribs, and my spleen ruptured. I had to have immediate surgery to have my spleen removed. The doctor is still monitoring me and said I should be able to go home in a day or two. The only question is, where is home?

I hear a knock on the door, and in walks a nurse. "How are you feeling Mr. McCormick?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck..."

"I'll take care of that. I'll get you some pain medication." She walks over by my IV and sets down a few needles on the tray.

"What's that?" I ask her as I'm over seeing needles.

"Vaccines, since your spleen was removed we have to give them to you to reduce your risk of getting an infection like pneumonia or the flu. You’re at a higher risk now that your spleen has been removed."

"I see." Like things could get any worse at this point. 

She injects the needles into my arms. "I'll be back with your pain medication. Try to get some rest." I nod as she leaves.

After my nap, I decide to time to call my family. I've kind of distanced myself from them because Lee told me I was relying on them too much and I needed to step back and let them focus on their own families. He felt like our relationship wouldn't grow unless I cut the umbilical cord from them. I talk to them about once or twice a month and that's because they call me.

I'm calling my brother for the first time in years and I just hope and pray he doesn't hang up on me.

"Hello?"

"Kevin? It's me, Kenny."

"Uncle Kenny!" It turns out it wasn't Kevin at all. "It's Kam, how are you?"

"I'm okay, how are you?"

"I'm good!"

"Wow, you sound so grown up! You sound like your dad!"

"I am grown up! I'm 13 now! I'm nearly an adult!"

I laugh a little, but even laughing is painful. "You have some time before you become an adult. Enjoy these years, you can't get them back."

"Yeah right! I heard you're finally coming to town!"

"I am, maybe sooner than you think..."

"Really?"

"Maybe..."

"I hope so! I miss you so much! I haven't seen you since I was a little kid!"

"Yeah, it's been a few years." I sigh. "Is your dad around?"

"He is...is everything okay?"

"I just really need to talk to him."

"I'll go get him."

Moments later Kevin comes to the phone. "What's up bro? I'm shocked to hear from you! What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you about something...something important."

"It sounds serious. Is everything okay?"

I shake my head and can feel the tears brimming in my eyes. "No it's not." I hear my voice cracking. Kevin, I-" I look up and see Lee standing there with a bouquet of flowers with a smile on my face.

"Kenny?" I hear Kevin call out. I almost forgot I was on the phone. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I, umm...I got to go! The doctor is here and wants to talk."

"The doctor?"

"Yeah, I'm in the hospital."

"Why? What the hell is going on Kenny?"

"I'm okay! I'll explain everything later, I promise! Bye!" I quickly hang up. I look at Lee. "What are you doing here?"

He walks closer to me, sets the flowers down on my bed and hugs me. "I'm so sorry Kenny!" I can feel a little pain when he hugs me. He looks at me. "How are you feeling?"

"In pain..."

"Do you need pain medication? Should I call the nurse?"

I shake my head. "I've already been giving my medication." I turn away from him.

"Good." He pauses for a moment and then takes my hand. "Again, I'm really sorry..."

I pull my hand away. "I can't do this anymore..."

"Can't do what?"

"This! Us! This isn't working for me anymore."

"Kenny, what are you saying?"

"I don't want to be with you anymore Lee!" His eyes widen. "It's one thing yelling at, throwing things at me, cheating on me, treating me like a servant. But you completely crossed the line when you put your hands on me!"

"I told you I'm really sorry!"

"I'm in the hospital! You ruptured my spleen!

He looks down. "I know. I've felt guilty ever since I hit you. I've always told myself no matter how angry I am with you, I would never lay a hand on you. I know how strong I am and that I really could do some damage. As you can see." He points at me.

"That's why I want out of this relationship. How do I know you won't get this angry again and do something worse?"

He shakes his head. "It won't! I promise."

"I don't want to risk it..."

Lee begins to tear up. "You told me you would never leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me..." 

I can't believe he's trying to throw that in my face. "I said that before I ended up in the hospital."

"A promise is a promise." I see a tear drop from his eye. “I thought you love me?” 

“I do love you, but I don’t want to get hurt again.” 

“You won’t get hurt again I promise. If I can keep my promise, then you should keep yours…”

"Lee-"

"Where are you going to go anyway?" He interrupts. "It's not like you can run home to mommy and daddy, they're dead! They can’t help you! Are you going to move in with one of your siblings? Not even taking into account that they have children. You're going to need someone to take care of you while you recover. Do you really want to put that burden on them? I think that would really be selfish of you. Especially given that your sister has postpartum depression and your brother is struggling financially!"

I never really thought about it like that. I shrug. “I don’t know where I’m going to go.”

“I don’t see how you can go anywhere anyway. I control all the finances so it’s not like you have money to leave.” He puts his arm around me causing me to flinch. “Just come home to me where you belong. I’ll take really good care of you.” He smiles. 

“I don’t know, so many things have to change…”

“I’ll change, I promise! I’ll never mistreat you again, I swear. I’ll even go to anger management! We can go back to therapy! Please Kenny!” He gets down on his knees and puts his hands in the prayer position. “I’m dedicated to making this relationship work!” 

I sigh. “Okay, I’ll give you ONE more chance and that’s it.” 

His eyes light up. “Really? You will?” 

I nod slowly. “Yes…” 

He hugs me. “Thank you so much Kenny!” He kisses me on the cheek. “I promise things will be different between us from this moment forward! You won’t regret your decision!” He gives me another kiss. “I’m going to take care of some things at home to get prepared for your release from the hospital. I’ll see you tomorrow!” 

“Bye.” I smile as he leaves. I really hope I don’t regret this decision, but for some reason, I have the feeling that in the end I will…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny and Butters arrive in South Park.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kenny's POV

After I was released from the hospital, Lee has kept his promise. He took really good care of me. He cooked my meals for me and served them to me in bed. He helped me get in the shower since I had trouble standing and walking the first two weeks. He's been cleaning up the house. He hasn't yelled at me or accused me of cheating at all and overall has been really nice. I'm really impressed with the changes he's made and I hope he keeps up this behavior.

I've made an almost full recovery, but that's not going to stop me from missing Karen's party. Lee and I just arrived in South Park. His mom picked us up from the airport. We're staying with his parents so that Karen doesn't know we're here until tomorrow night. I text Kevin and Kyle to let them know we’re here. Kevin told me to stop by his house this evening so we can have a chat, I promised him I would. 

Once we got settled in and Lee finishes catching up with his parents, we decided to go to cafe to get something to eat. Lee’s mom offered to cook, but Lee declined and said he wanted to go out to eat instead.

While we're sitting, our waitress comes over to our table. She's a pretty teen girl, that's tall and very slim with long black hair. There's something very familiar about her.

"Good evening, my name is Abby, I'll be your waitress this evening. May I start you off with something to drink?"

Abby? It can't be. "Abby? Abby Marsh?" I ask her.

She gives me a confused look. "Do I know you?"

I nod and smile. "It's me, Kenny."

"Kenny?" She thinks for a moment and then her jaw drops. "Oh my God!" She starts backing up. "I think you should have another waitress..." She tries to walk off, but I grab her arm.

"No Abby, please stay!"

"Kenny, just let her go..." Lee tells me.

"But I want to talk to her."

She jerks her arm away. "But I don't want to talk to you!" I notice she starts wheezing a bit.

"Abby please! I know you probably hate me, but I can explain everything!"

She folds her arms. "There's no way you can explain leaving and not keeping in touch with me for 8 years."

"I can! Your dad wouldn't let me see or speak to you! Even when he was in jail, your grandmother wouldn't let me either to respect Stan's wishes."

"So you say..." She starts wheezing again.

"I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch, I really wanted to, but after the last time I saw your dad and he refused to let me see you, I thought it would be best to wait until you're older and try to explain things to you."

She nods slowly and continues wheezing. "I'm going to get another waitress..." She tells me as she walks off.

"She doesn't care..." I say dejected.

"She's Stan's daughter, what the hell did you expect?" Lee begins. "She's immature and selfish just like he is! Besides, why would you want her back in your life? Are you trying to use her to get closer to Stan?"

I shake my head. "No, she's my sister! It's not about Stan at all."

"I don't believe that..." He mumbles.

Moments later we see Abby coming back. "I got you guys another waitress, she'll be with you in a minute. I'm taking my break now." She looks at Lee. "I don't want to be rude, but do you mind if I talk to Kenny alone for a few minutes?"

He shrugs. "That's fine. The name is Lee, I'm Kenny's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you." She looks at me. "Can you step outside with me for a few minutes?"

I nod. "Of course." I look at Lee. "I'll be back in a few." I kiss him on the cheek as he nods. I stand up and follow Abby outside. I still can't over how grown up she is now. She's really tall! She towers over me. The last time I saw her, she was a little girl. Now she's damn near an adult.

She leads me across the street to some benches and she sits down. I sit down beside her. "It's really nice to see you Kenny."

"You too! Again, I'm so sorry I lost touch with you. I would love to stay in touch, but I'll leave that decision up to you."

She nods. "I would like that. I would love to get to know you. I'm sure a lot has changed in 8 years."

I laugh. "Well not really, but I would love to get to know you too. I'm certain you've probably gone through more changes than I have."

She shrugs. "Outside of puberty, nothing's changed."

“I see you still have asthma. Is it under control now?” 

She nods. “I usually have an attack when I get anxious or stressed, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was when I was a kid. I keep my inhaler handy so I’m good for the most part.” She smiles.

I smile back. “That’s good to hear.” I'm probably going to regret asking this. "How's your dad?"

She sighs. "He's in pretty bad shape."

I raise my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well he got out of jail two years ago, he spent six months in a half way house. Once he got out he moved in with grandparents, that's where I'm living too."

"Where are his other kids?"

"Wendy's parents have custody of them. They won't even let dad see them. He's devastated by that. He can't find a job because of his conviction. I'm working here and saving up money so he can hire a lawyer to try to get back custody of them."

"Wow, that's crazy..."

"Yeah it is. Of course you know, his drinking is even worse than it was before."

"I'm sure. Have your grandparents tried to get him help?"

She shakes her head. "Grandma wants to, but grandpa keeps telling her not to help him because he's an adult and should be able to help himself. They don't agree with me working to try to help him, but I don't want to sit back and watch my dad suffer either."

"I don't blame you, even though he has his issues, that's still your dad." I can totally relate to why she's doing this.

She nods. "Exactly. On top of all that, while he was in jail, he found out he has HIV."

My jaw drops. "I'm sorry to hear that." Man, that's terrible. A part of me feels like Stan is getting exactly what he deserves, but at the same time, I feel bad for what he's going through. More importantly, it breaks my heart to see how this is affecting Abby. "Well at least HIV isn't the death sentence it once was, as long as he's on medication he should be fine." I tell her trying to give her some comfort.

She nods. "Yeah, it's still kind of scary though. Some days he’s so depressed that all he does is drink and refuses to take his medicine. I try my best to keep him positive and motivated, but some days it’s hard because he’s so down. He’s also lost a lot of weight. He only weighs 165 now, he looks awful." Then I notice she her gesture. "Here comes your boyfriend."

I look up and see Lee approaching us. He looks at little concerned. "Is everything okay?" He asks once he's closer to us. "You guys have been out here for awhile."

Abby nods. "Everything's fine, I'm just catching up with my brother." She pats me on the back.

Lee looks at me. "You better come back in so you can order your food. You need to eat something, I don't want you to get sick." He tells me completely ignoring Abby.

"I'll be right there." I tell him.

"Don't take too long." He tells me before heading back to the cafe.

I stand up. "Well I guess I better head back in there."

Abby grabs my arm. "Hey, what's up with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"He seems a little...I don't know, controlling." She shrugs.

I laugh it off. "Lee means well. I was in a bad accident and has my spleen removed last month. He's been worried about me getting sick ever since."

"Oh my! You're lucky to be alive!"

"It's no big deal. I'm fine."

"So what kind of accident were you in? Was it a car accident or something...or someone else?"

Wow, could she be onto Lee? "I got hit by a car. But I better head back to the cafe, we'll talk more about that later." I give her a hug. "I'm glad we had a chance to catch up!" I quickly leave before she can ask me anymore questions. Lee and I are in a good place right now, I don't want to mess things up.

Butters’ POV

It's been 20 minutes since I went to get Kenny and he's just now returning the cafe. I'm a little angry because I feel like he disrespected me by not coming back when I told him to! I'm trying to control my anger because I promised to work on it, but I don't want him taking that for weakness. He has to remember who's boss!

"Sorry about that Lee." He tells me as he sits down.

"What took you so long?" I ask him.

"I haven't seen her in 8 years. We were just trying to catch up."

"Did you talk about Stan?"

He shakes his head. "No of course not."

I glare at him as I can tell he's lying. He's a very bad liar. "Then what did you talk about?"

He shrugs. "Just stuff. She was talking about her life and stuff."

I raise my eyebrow. "Yet Stan's name didn't come up at all?"

"No!"

I knew coming to South Park was a bad idea! This is why I refused to let him come back here. "Order your food so we can get out of here."

"Can we still stop by my brother's house?"

He's got to be fucking kidding me right now! He really thinks we're going to go to his brother's house after this episode? I shake my head. "No, I'm a little tired and don't feel like driving to Denver. Besides, you'll see him tomorrow night at the party."

"I know, but he asked me to stop by today so we can talk."

If he thinks I'm going to give him a chance to talk to Kevin alone he has another thing coming. I know he was on the phone with Kevin when I came to the hospital. He was about to tell him what I did. As well as things are going, I know if given a chance, Kenny would blab everything to Kevin! Kevin has that effect on him. He respects Kevin like a father figure and will be quick to tell him that truth. I've worked too damn hard to put tension between Kenny and Kevin and I'll be damned if I let this trip ruin my hard work!

"Just tell him something came up. Say you have a headache or something."

"Lee..."

"Figure it out Kenny!" I snap at him.

"Oh all right..." I can hear the disappointment in his voice and I even see tears in his eyes. I don't care, I'm not changing my mind. I know I'm doing the right thing. I have to keep this relationship going the way I want it! I've compromised myself enough just coming out here and I let him have one on one time with Abby. I'm not doing it anymore!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Kenny is reunited with his family at Karen's party!
> 
> Butters slowly begins to return to his old ways.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kenny's POV

Lee and I are getting ready for Karen's party. I just finished ironing his clothes and now about to iron mine. I lay my shirt on the ironing board and I notice a big red stain on my shirt, it looks like paint.

"Oh no!" I cry out. "This can't be."

Lee comes into the room. "What's wrong with you?"

"There's paint on my shirt!"

"Oh gee, that's too bad!" I swear I saw him smirking.

"It's a semi formal event! This is the only semi formal shirt I brought with me."

"Well you still have your black dress pants. I'm sure no one will care if you have on a causal shirt with dressy pants."

"Yeah you're right..."

"So quit whining about it." He playfully smacks me on the back.

I grab my dress pants and put them on the ironing board when I notice there's a big hole right in the crotch area. "Oh no! How did this happen?" My eyes began to water.

Lee rolls his eyes. "What now?"

"There's a hole in my pants!" I start crying.

He shrugs. "I think you should wear them anyway. That's kind of hot!"

"I can't go to a semi formal event dressed like that!" I continue to cry.

Lee bursts out laughing. "Stop acting like a diva! Throw on a polo shirt and jeans and call it a damn day!"

"I wish I had time to run out to the mall..."

"Well you don't, so stop crying and go get dressed!" He orders. "No one gives a shit what you're wearing! It's not even about you, it's about your sister!"

I wipe my eyes. "You're right. I'll go get ready."

“Good. Enjoy this night while you can because we’re getting out of here first thing in the morning!” 

I nod. “Yes sir.” 

About an hour later, we arrive at the party. It's at a hotel and of course everyone that's already here is dressed in semi formal attire...even the children. I feel so under dressed and out of place.

I feel an arm around me. I turn around and see Kevin. "What's up bro?" He addresses me.

"Hi Kevin!" I give him a hug. I’ve never been so happy to see my brother.

He looks at Lee. "What's going on Butters?"

"He prefers to be called Lee." I whisper to Kevin.

"Sorry about that Lee."

"Don't worry about it Kevin, you can still call me Butters. Everyone here still does!" He smiles. I feel Lee squeezing my shoulder. I wince in pain.

"Cool." He stares me up and down and frowns. “What’s up with your attire? You don’t have any dress up clothes?”

I nod. “I did, but I had a little incident with my clothes. My shirt had paint on it and my pants had a hole in them.” 

He raises his eyebrow. “You didn’t notice this until you got here?” 

I shake my head. “No.” I notice he rolls his eyes. 

"Uncle Kenny!" I hear. I turn and see Kam and Kane approaching me. I also see Missy with a little girl. That must be Katie. Kam gives me the biggest hug ever. "I missed you so much Uncle Kevin!"

"I missed you too little man, well I guess you're not so little anymore." Not only does Kam have a deep voice, but he's also done quite a bit of growing. He's tall, but not quite as tall as Abby, but he still kind of towers me. He's even starting to get a mustache. He dyed his hair black and is in the Goth phase.

He smiles. "Nope! I'm 5'10! I'm as tall as dad and I'm still growing!"

"I see." I give Kane a hug too. "How are you doing buddy?"

"I'm good!" He answers.

Then I greet Missy and give her a hug. I kneel down to Katie's level. "You must be Katie. You're such a pretty little girl!"

"This is your Uncle Kenny." Kevin tells her.

"Hi..." She says to me shyly.

"Hi sweetie." I hug her. "It's so good to finally meet you!"

"Karen, Kyle, and Kyla are coming." Missy announces. "Everyone get ready!" She dims the lights as everyone gets quiet.

The door opens and Karen walks in. "SURPRISE!" Everyone yells. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

"Oh my God!" Karen exclaims. She looks at Kyle and Kyla. "You guys knew about this?" They both nod and smile. "I can't believe this!" She goes and greets all her guests as Kyle and Kyla come and talk to me and Lee. 

"Kenny?" She's finally made her way over to me. "I can't believe you're here! This really is a surprise!" She hugs me.

"I'm glad I'm here! Happy Birthday!" I tell her as a few tears fall from my eyes.

"Thank you!" She looks at me. "Well I definitely didn't miss that!" She jokes. "I'm kidding. It's so good to finally see you. Hi Butters!" She greets Lee.

"Hey, Happy Birthday!"

"I'm glad to see you two are still together." She looks at me. "So when you are guys going to tie the knot and have some kids. I know your ass still wants to be a parent."

"Lee doesn't want children." I feel that tight squeeze again, this time in my back. I look up and see Lee giving me a warning look.

"Oh, well that's too bad." She shrugs. "Having children isn't for everyone."

"It's definitely not for me. I don’t really like kids that much." Lee tells her. "Besides, dealing with Kenny is like having child...or maybe even a puppy." He laughs and puts his arm tightly around me.

I notice an awkward exchange between Karen, Kyle, and Kevin in that moment. "Butters," Kyle begins, "let me talk to you in private. You know to catch up!" He smiles.

"You don't want to talk to Kenny and me? I figured you would want to catch up with your brother in law."

"I will. But I want to talk to you first."

"Yeah, besides, I need to talk to Kenny." Kevin tells us.

Lee nods. "Well all right then. I'll catch you later Kenny." He gives me a kiss on the cheek and he walks off with Kyle.

Kevin then pulls me aside. “We need to talk.” 

“About what?” 

“Last month you called me in a panic and told me you were in the hospital. I asked what happened and you tell me you’re okay and then hang up on me. I’ve been trying to call you back and you’ve been ignoring my calls. What the hell is going on?” 

I shrug. “I was in a car accident and I ruptured my spleen. That’s all.” 

“That’s all? That sounds pretty serious to me? Why the hell didn’t you just tell me that on the phone?” 

“I was on pain medication and a little disoriented. I’m sorry I made you worry.” I try to walk away, but he grabs my arm. 

“What the hell happened to you? You use to tell me everything. I feel like you’re a stranger now.” 

“It’s not like that…” 

“Bullshit Kenny! You treat all of us like strangers! Why?” 

“I don’t mean to. I’ve just been busy with work and Lee.” 

“We’re busy too, but we ALWAYS made time for you! When the hell did you become such a selfish asshole?” 

I start to tear up as I can’t believe he’s talking to me like this. “I’m not!” I want to talk to him about what I’ve been through, but this isn’t the time or place. “I’m not selfish!” 

“You damn sure fooled me and everyone else! Why did you even bother coming? Kyle told me that he talked to Butters and he said you never even told him about the damn party! I use to think he was the issue, but I see it’s really you!” 

I shake my head. “It’s not what you think!” At this point I’m in tears. 

“Don’t start that crying shit! It use to work, but not anymore!” 

“Kevin, you’re my big brother, you’ve always been like a father to me-“

“Stop it! Don’t you dare go there!” He interrupts me.

“You’ve never spoken so harshly to me…” 

“I never imagined I would have to, but you brought this on yourself!” 

“Just trust me when I say, things aren’t how they really seem. Please?”

He shakes his head. “You know what? I don’t even care anymore. I’m going to walk away before I really say something I regret. You have a nice life with Butters or Lee or whatever the fuck he calls himself these days.” He walks away. 

I decide to go outside as I don’t want to ruin Karen’s party. I sit out in the front and cry. I can’t believe this. After everything we’ve been through, my brother hates me. I can only imagine how Karen and the rest of my family feels about me. I continue crying when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Lee. He sits down next to me. 

“I was watching you and Kevin. Now do you believe me? Your family really doesn’t want you around.” 

I shake my head. “I just can’t believe that! I don’t want to believe that. Kevin is angry right now, but I know he’ll come around.” 

“Oh grow the hell up, would you? Your relationship with your family is done! This is another reason why I didn’t think coming here was a good idea. You came all the way out here just to sit and cry because Kevin hurt your little feelings.” He says that in a mocking tone. “Now you see why I said you’re a child!”

I try to ignore that remark. “I don’t know how we got to this point…” 

“You’re not here for Kevin to control you and spend your money that’s what it’s really about. I’ve told you this before. He’ll never admit it.” I don’t respond to him. He puts his arm around me. “This is why we’re leaving first thing in the morning.” I nod. “Let’s go back inside and try to enjoy the last few hours with your phony ass family. It might be another 6 years before you see them again.” I nod and we go back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny and Stan come face to face. 
> 
> Stan and Butters have a physical confrontation!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kenny's POV

After the party, Lee decided he wanted to stop at a bar and get a drink. The bar he decided to go to is right next door to the cafe that Abby works at.

"May I go see if Abby's working?" I ask Lee.

He shakes his head. "Fuck no! What the hell for?"

"I wanted to say bye to her."

"You got the bitch's number don't you?"

I nod. "She's not a bitch..."

He gives me a warning look. "Don't start with me! She's a bitch and you have her number. You should be lucky I even allowed you to keep it!"

I sigh. "I don't want to argue with you Lee..."

"You know better!" He grabs me by the wrist as tight as he can and pulls me into the bar. "Go find us a seat, I need to take a piss!"

I nod. "Yes sir." He walks away. I immediately find two seats right in front of the bar. I sit down and put my foot on the seat next to me to save a spot for Lee.

"Kenny?" I look over and see a very thin man with a lot of facial hair looking at me.

"Stan? Is that you?"

He nods. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" He starts coughing.

My eyes widen as I'm completely in shock by his appearance. I know Abby told me he has HIV and he's really thin now, but I didn't expect him to this skinny and sickly looking. He's really pale with dark circles around both eyes, dark patches on his arms, and he practically looks skeletal. He looks like he's dying.

"Yeah..." I say nervously. "8 years I guess." I look around to see if I see Lee. He would have a fit if he sees me talking to Stan.

He nods. "Yeah, I heard you saw my girl yesterday."

"I did. I hope you're not upset..."

He shakes his head. "No, she's old enough to make her own decisions on who she wants to talk to."

I nod. "She's a beautiful bright young lady. You should be very proud."

He smiles. "I'm really proud of her. Sometimes I don't even think I deserve to be her father, but I'm glad I am. She’s always there for me when I need her."

"She's a good person. She told me about your situation. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks." He shrugs and takes a drink. "What can you do? I guess I deserve it for sleeping around and cheating on every person I've ever been with. This is my karma." He takes another drink.

"Stan, do you really think you should still be drinking like this? It can't be good for your health."

He shrugs and takes another drink. "Well if the alcohol doesn't kill me, the smoking or HIV will."

I can't believe he's still smoking too. It's like he has a death sentence. "Why speed up the process?"

"Why not? I don't have anything to live for!"

I start shaking him. "Yes you do! What about Abby? What about your other kids?"

He waves me off. "I'm not even allowed to see my other kids thanks to Wendy's parents!"

"Well again, what about Abby? Do you want her to watch you suffer and die? Do you even care how that will affect her?"

He nods. "Of course I care! I'm just always sick and tired and in pain. You know who's right by my side taking care of me? Abby is! She's 15, that's a huge burden on someone her age! I told her not to do it, but she refuses to listen to me! Her life would be much easier if I were dead!"

I shake my head. "Coming from someone who lost both parents at 18, no it wouldn’t! Plus in her case, you're the only parent she knows so it's going to be extra hard on her! Get yourself together! Take your medication and stop smoking and drinking! If not for yourself then for Abby!"

He nods. "You're absolutely right Kenny. Dude, I never thought I would ever hear you speak like this to me or to anyone for that matter."

"I'm just trying to look out for Abby."

"She told me you have a new man, I think she said his name is Lee."

I nod. "Yes, I'm with Butters. We've been together for 8 years now."

He laughs. "So he finally got his hooks into you? Good for him! He's had a crush on you since high school. I guess being with him has toughened you up huh?"

I shake my head. "Umm, I wouldn't say that..."

He puts his hand on my back. "You're with weak, whiny, wimpy Butters Stotch. There's no way you couldn't be tough being with him! You kick his ass, don't you?" If he only knew...

"Get your fucking hands off my man, you son of a bitch!" We turn and look and see Lee standing behind us breathing hard. His face is red and angry.

Stan looks at Lee and his eyes widen and his jaw drops. "Holy shit! Butters?"

"It's Lee to you mother fucker!"

"Wow!" He sizes him up. "You’ve gotten...bigger!"

"Why the fuck are you touching my man?"

He puts his hands up in defeats. "Butters, er…Lee just chill dude it wasn't even like that. We were just catching up! That's it!"

For the first time ever, I actually detect fear in Stan's voice. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman well mostly Cartman, use to tease and torture Butters from elementary through high school. The way he is now, I don't think any of them would have the balls do it now. Stan has an inch over Lee in height, but Lee definitely has Stan by at least 100 pounds now.

Lee grabs Stan by his collar and lifts him out of the chair. "I would like to do some catching up too!"

"You would...?"

He nods. "Yes, my fist wants to catch up with your face!" With that, Lee punches Stan knocking him to the ground. He gets down and starts punching Stan repeatedly.

"Lee! Don't do this!" I cry out. I think about the damage he did to me, so I can only imagine what he's going to do to Stan given the fragile state he's currently in.

"Shut up! I'm going to teach this little prick a lesson!" He punches him in the stomach. "He'll think twice the next time he wants to put his hands on my boyfriend!" He grabs Stan by his collar and slams him down three times. I hear Stan cry out in pain and I see his eyes roll up in his head.

"Lee you're going to kill him!" Then he goes back to punching him.

Suddenly, the bouncers come over and pull Lee off of Stan. One puts Lee's arms behind his back. "I'm not finished with this little prick!" He kicks Stan is his side twice.

"You're out of here! Let's go!" The bouncer tells him as he escorts Lee out.

"That's pay back for everything Stan!" Lee yells out to him.

"I'll call an ambulance!" The other bouncer announces.

I kneel down beside Stan. He's bleeding from his nose and mouth and he has blood coming from one of his ears. "Stan...I'm so sorry he did this to you." He looks as if he's trying to say something, but instead he starts coughing up blood. "Don't try to talk Stan." I start tearing up. After everything he's put me through, it's heartbreaking to see him like this. "I'm going to call Abby…" I grab my phone and call her.

"Hey Kenny, I can't talk right now, I'm at work." She answers in a whisper.

"I'm next door! You need to get over here right now. It's your dad..."

"What's wrong?"

"He was attacked by Lee! He’s hurt and bleeding. I thought you might want to be here with him."

"Of course! I'll be right there!"

I kneel back down beside Stan. "Don't worry Stan, Abby is on her way..." He's still coughing up blood. I even see tears coming out of his eyes. I feel bad that Abby is going to have to see this.

"Daddy?" I look up and see Abby who's now in tears. "Oh no!" I move so she can kneel next to Stan. She takes his hand and continues crying. "I can't believe he did this to you."

"An ambulance should be on the way..." I inform her.

She looks at me. "How could you be with a monster like him? Is he aware that my dad is sick?"

I nod. "I told him, but he wouldn't stop beating on him."

She shakes her head. "You need to get away from that man before he does something like this to you...if he hasn't already."

I smile nervously. "I'll be fine." 

“Really?” She grabs my wrists and holds it up. “Then what’s this?” She points to my bruised wrist. It bruised from when Lee grabbed me when we first got here.

“It’s nothing, really.” I look outside and see a police car and an ambulance. "I better go. I'm heading back to Atlanta in the morning, but please call me and let me know how your dad is, okay?"

She nods. "I will. You take care of yourself. I'm worried about you..."

"I'll be okay..." I give her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you sis!"

"Love you too." I tell her as the paramedics are approaching.

I walk outside and see Lee handcuffed and being put into a police car. I walk toward the car when I'm stopped by a police officer who tells me I can't get closer. I told him that I'm his boyfriend and I just needed a minute and he agreed to give me a moment.

"Lee?"

"You have a lot of fucking nerve, you know that? How dare you stay by his side! How FUCKING dare you!" He yells.

"He was hurt, I didn't want to leave him alone until Abby got there."

"Just wait until we get back home..." He narrows his eyes at me. The cop tells me my time is up and closes the door. I watch as the car drives off, fearing for my own safety once I'm back in Atlanta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Kenny learns the extent of Stan's injuries.
> 
> Abby expresses her concern for Kenny to an unlikely source.
> 
> Kenny's life is in danger.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kenny's POV

I've been back in Atlanta for 3 days and Lee still hasn't made it back yet. I haven't heard from him since he was arrested. I don't know if he got locked up or what. Honestly, I’m secretly hoping he did get locked up and isn’t coming back.

My phone rings and it's a number I don't recognize. It must be Lee calling from jail. "Lee?"

"No, it's Abby..." It sounds like she's crying.

"Abby! What's wrong? Did something else happen to Stan?"

"No, I'm just sad because he's not getting any better..."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Your boy did a number on him. He ruptured his ear drum, broke his jaw which has now been wired shut, he cracked his ribs, and fractured his skull. He's also lost a lot of blood, which in his condition is extremely dangerous!"

"Oh my God! Abby, I'm so sorry."

She sniffles. "It's okay, he's still with us so I'm happy about that. I don't know what I would do if he didn't make it. The doctors even said he's lucky to still be alive and conscious!"

"He's a fighter." I tell her trying to give her some comfort.

"He use to be. Ever since he's diagnosis, he's given up on himself and life."

Damn, I don't even know how to respond to that because I know exactly what she's talking about. "Have you been to work or school?" I ask her trying to somewhat change the subject.

"No way! I'm not leaving daddy's side until he's released!"

"You still have responsibilities and you have to take care of yourself."

"I know that, but he doesn't have any friends and my grandparents have given up on him. He needs to someone to stay by his side."

"He would at least want you to go to school..."

"I'm not leaving him alone. I just can't."

I nod. I'm not going to argue with her about this. "I understand. Please keep me updated with his condition."

"I will. Just so you know, we're pressing charges against Lee!"

"Abby..."

"Kenny, please don't try to talk me out of this! He did serious damage to my dad! He's not getting away with this!"

"I wasn't going to talk you out of it." I lie. "I was just going to say good luck."

"I should say good luck to you. You're the one with that crazy man. When are you going to get away from him?"

"He's really not that bad..."

"Not that bad? Do I need to remind you what he did to my dad? Hell, you were there!"

I nod. "I know. He and Stan have history and I guess all of it isn't good. Lee must have had years of pent up anger."

"...why are you making excuses for him?"

"I'm not, I'm just telling it like it is."

"If you say so. I'll keep you posted on my dad."

"Thank you." We hang up.

Abby's POV

My grandparents finally decided to visit daddy in the hospital. While they’re there, I decided to take a break and grab something to eat. I also wanted to take this time to meet up with a few people to have an important discussion.

I notice them sitting at the table so I go and join them. "Thank you so much for meeting me." I tell them.

"What's this all about?" Karen asks me.

"Yeah, you never call us." Kevin responds.

I nod. "I know, but I think this is important. It's about Kenny."

Kevin stands up. "I don't want to hear it!"

Karen grabs his arm. "Kevin, let's at least hear Abby out."

"Fine." He sits back down. "What is it?"

"I think Kenny may be in danger." I tell them. "I think his boyfriend may hurt him..."

"Butters? He's harmless."

I shake my head. "He's not as harmless as you think. Because of him, my dad is in the hospital fighting for his life..."

"Really?" Karen asks. "What did he do?"

I tell them about the fight and what damage Lee did. Both Karen and Kevin seem shocked. “He’s still conscious thank goodness, but he hasn’t been responsive at all.” 

“Wow…I’m shocked that Butters did that to Stan. I’m even more shocked that Stan didn’t even bother to fight back…” 

“I’m not Stan has always been a little pussy whenever he’s confronted.” Kevin adds in. 

“He didn’t fight back because he’s sick.” I tell them. 

“Does he have cancer or something?” Karen asks. 

I shake my head. “No, we thought he was in the early stages of HIV, but I was told by his doctor that he’s in the late stage which mean he has AIDS. He found out about a month ago, but he never told us. That explains his appearance…” I get a little choked up. 

“Well I’m sorry you guys are going through this, I hope it works out.” Kevin tells me. “But I don’t get what any of this has to do with Kenny.”

“I’m convinced that Lee or Butters, may attack like this next…if he hasn’t done it already.” 

Karen raises her eyebrow. “What the hell do you mean if he hasn’t done it already?” 

“When I first met him, I noticed immediately how controlling he is when it comes to Kenny and Kenny is very obedient when Lee tells him to do something. Kenny made excuses saying he just really worries about him. I let it go until after this fight happened and Kenny was still making excuses for him plus he had a big bruise on his wrist.” They don’t look like they believe anything I’m saying. “You guys don’t think he acts a little strange when Lee’s around?” 

“Kenny is strange. Kyle thought he was acting oddly too, but I really didn’t pay that much attention.” 

“I use to think that Butters was the reason Kenny kept his distance from us,” Kevin begins, “I realized Kenny is the problem not Butters.” 

“Maybe Butters is the problem!” I tell him. “I don’t believe it was a car accident that ruptured Kenny’s spleen. I think Butters did it. After what he did to my dad, I’m 100 percent convinced that’s what happened!” 

Kevin looks like he’s in deep thought. “Kevin?” Karen calls him. 

“…he called me from the hospital. He was crying and sounded a little panicked. He said he had something important to tell me, but he never had the chance. He told me the doctor came in and he was in the hospital and was okay and hung up. I could never get in touch with him after that…” 

“Now do you believe that Butters is the issue?” I ask him. 

He slowly nods. “I went off on him at the party. I said mean and hurtful things to him and he kept telling me that things aren’t how they seem.” He puts his hand on his forehead. “Why didn’t he just confide in someone? We would’ve helped him.”

I shrug. “He might be afraid.” Suddenly my phone rings. “Hi Grandma.” As I’m talking to her, I get teary eyed again. “I’ll be right there.” I hang up.

“Is everything okay?” Karen asks me. 

I shake my head. “My dad has slipped into a coma. I have to go back to the hospital.” I stand up. “Thanks again for coming.” I give both of them a hug. 

“Thanks for bringing this to our attention…” Karen tells me. 

Kevin nods. “Yeah. Look I know we’ve never been close, but if you need anything please don’t hesitate to call us.” 

I smile. “Thank you.” I hug them again before leaving.

Butters’ POV

I was finally released from jail thanks to my parents bailing me out. I immediately paid them back and hopped on the first plane to Atlanta. I have to come back to this hell hole because Stan’s little bastard daughter wants to press charges against me. 

I arrive home and I see Kenny in the kitchen. “Hi Lee…” He says to me nervously. 

I slowly walk over to him and slap him as hard as possible knocking him to the ground. “I knew you still had feelings for that little bitch Stan!”

He gets up. “Lee…I don’t, I was just worried about him. He was really hurt, he’s still hurt. He’s in the hospital.”

“If you didn’t have feelings for him, you wouldn’t give two shits about him!” 

“I’m not a monster Lee! Stan didn’t deserve that and you know it!” 

I glare at him. “What did you say?” 

“Stan is frail and sick. He has HIV, could you not see how terrified he was of you? He didn’t want to fight! He didn’t even fight back. You fought a weak and helpless man! That’s really low even for you.” I notice he takes a deep breath. “That’s why, I want to end things with you…”

I feel my blood boil when I hear those words. Usually I would pretend I’m going to kill myself, but I’m so fucking angry I can’t even see straight! Suddenly, I grip my hand around his neck and then I knocked him to the floor, still gripping his neck. I can tell the grip was cutting off his airway, preventing him from breathing. The pressure of my bodyweight on his chest sends him into a panic. He manages to bite my hand as hard as he possibly could. I yelled as his teeth bit into my flesh and he pulled away from my grasp. Before he could catch his breath, I began to punch him in the face and head. He covered his face with his hands but I kept pulling them away and hitting him even harder. He starts yelling and crying, begging me to stop, but I kept on punching him. Not only was I punching him in the face, I was punching him in his chest and stomach as well. The beating goes on for about a good hour. I start getting tired, so I stop punching him. 

“Let’s see your ass try to end things with me now…” I say in between breaths. I notice he’s not moving. “Kenny?” No response. I kick him several times. I shrug. “Good now you can enjoy your little boyfriend. You two will end up in hell together!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny seeks medical attention and makes a life changing decision. 
> 
> Butters is a wanted man.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kenny's POV

I opened my eyes to a dark room. I had been beating unconscious. I realized I had to escape. Rising to my knees, the bloodstains from my wounds remained on the floor. I crawled toward the front door and quietly pulled it open.

As I reached the front screen door handle, Lee slammed the front door on my arm and pulled me back into the house. I continued to yell and run frantically through the house, trying to find a means to escape.

Lee kept laughing at me, mocking me, telling me to look in the mirror.

"See what you did to yourself?" He kept yelling.

Finally, Lee wandered into another room out of sight. I saw an opening, my chance to escape.

I opened the front door and ran out of the house into the cold night, wearing only a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

My bare feet pounded the hard ground as I ran towards the woods outside of our house. I could feel Lee running right behind me. As I ran into the woods, branches scratched my face and body like hands grabbing me and pulling me back from where I wanted to escape. I eluded Lee and I hid in the woods until I felt it was safe to go for help.

I made my way through the woods to a neighbor’s house. Once there, I gathered my courage to knock on the door. After looking in horror at what stood in front of her my neighbor quickly took me to the hospital.

At the hospital a doctor examined me. He asked what had happened. Though I initially hesitated, I eventually explained my relationship with Lee and his steroid abuse (something I've never told anyone). I told him this wasn’t the first time that he had hit me but that this was the worst. 

After being examined, having numerous x-rays, and a CAT scan, the doctor listed the damage. He told me that I had bleeding around my skull, a fractured arm, bruised ribs, possible damage to my eardrum, and numerous contusions that they would need to monitor to ensure that they would not form into a brain aneurysm. Lee also tore open my intestines which cause a lot of internal bleeding.

I didn’t even think twice about what he was telling me until he came to me with a mirror. He forced me to look at my bruised and bloody face in the mirror and asked me if I liked what I saw. I pushed the mirror away and tears started to roll down my face. I couldn’t believe that I was looking at myself. That face in the mirror was not me.

The doctor also told me that a few more punches could have resulted in brain damage or even death. I felt numb. 

How could Lee have done this to me? I thought about the man I fell in love with 8 years ago and realized I could never go back. I would have to leave my home, my business, my pets, my money, 8 years of personal possessions, and Lee. The same man who had once made a 25 year-old guy with no self-confidence and a goofy smile feel like a prince. The same man that just hours before had been within a few punches of causing me brain damage or even death. 

How could I have let this get so far? How could I allow someone I thought loved me hurt me so badly, both physically and emotionally? How did it get to this?

The doctor recommended that I have surgery if my intestines don’t heal on their own within the next few weeks. I nodded and I’m grateful that I don’t need surgery now because I want to get far away from here as possible. If I stay and have surgery, Lee has a good chance of finding me and I’ll never get away. 

That night, the doctor informed me that he reported Lee to the authorities. They’re out looking for him as we speak. He wasn’t in the house and hasn’t shown up for work. He’s nowhere to be found. The doctor gave me some money and told me to get away, to start a new life, to go somewhere safe. Once I was released from the hospital, I went to the bus station and purchased a one-way ticket to South Park.

Once I was on the bus, the first thing I did was call my boss Kyle. "Hey Ken..." He said, his voice is kind of shaky and distracted.

"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not coming back to work."

"Why not?"

"I'm moving back to South Park to be closer to my family...and to get away from Lee."

"Because of the abuse?"

My eyes widen. "You knew about that?"

"Dude, I figured it out that day you came to work bruised and in pain. I asked you if there was something you wanted to tell me."

"I see. Well if you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured if you wanted to talk about it you would. I didn't want to pry too much."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Do you want to me call Jim and see if he can transfer your position to the Denver office?"

"That would be great! I'll need some source of income. I need another favor."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I need the direct deposit to stop on my next paycheck. That way Lee can't get it."

"I'll let payroll know, once you figure out where you're staying, give me a forwarding address so it can be mailed to you."

"I'll go ahead and give you my brother's address. Hopefully he'll let me stay with him." I give him Kevin's address.

"Thanks. There's one more thing I should tell you, you probably won't care now that you're done with Lee though." 

"What is it?"

"He's cheating on you...with Jessica." I don't even respond since I already knew that. "You knew?"

"Yes, he brought her over and locked me in the closet while they had sex. I really wanted to tell you."

"I knew he was training her, but I never would've guessed they were sleeping together."

"How did you find out?"

"I came home from work early one day, just before you guys went to South Park and caught them on the couch. We filed separation papers a few days later. It still hurts, but I’m glad I found out before we started a family."

I shake my head in disgust, I know how he feels. "I'm so sorry Kyle."

"Thanks, I'm sorry you had to go through this shit too."

"Thanks."

"I'll let you go, I'll call when I talk to Jim about your job."

"Thanks again Kyle."

"No problem. Be safe." We hang up.

Kevin's POV

Kyle, Karen, and I are in the living room discussing Kenny and Butters. "I just can't believe Butters beats him up." Kyle states. "He was always such a nice, mild mannered guy."

"We don't know for sure that Butters is beating him. That's only Abby's speculation." Karen adds.

"Yeah, but when I really thought about what she said, I'm sure she's probably right." I tell them. "We know for a fact that Stan's fighting for his life because of him."

"We have to figure out how to get Kenny out of there." Kyle states. "I can book us a ticket to Atlanta."

I nod. "Good idea. Just know that you better be prepared to fight Butters." I tell him.

"It might not come down to that. We just have to get Kenny out of there immediately."

I nod and then my phone rings. I look at it and see its Kenny calling me. "Speak of the devil..." I show them my phone before I answer it. "Hey Kenny."

"Hi. I'm on the bus right heading to South Park. Can you meet me at the bus station around 5:30 tomorrow afternoon?"

"I can. What's going on? Why are you on a bus?"

"I'll explain when I get there. Please make sure you're at the bus station. My phone may be disconnected by the time I get there so I may not be able to call."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow." I hang up and look at Kyle and Karen. "We can cancel that Atlanta trip, Kenny's on his way here."

"What? Why?" Karen asks.

I shrug. "I'm not sure. He asked me to meet him at the bus station tomorrow and he'll explain when he gets here." Karen and Kyle nod. I have the feeling that nothing good is going to come of Kenny coming back home.

Butters’ POV

That damn Kenny thinks he's slick! He's thinks he's going to try to have me arrested and then leave town. His dumbass is going to think I'm in an Atlanta jail, but little does he know, I got on a plane to South Park. I'm waiting for him to arrive. I refused to stay somewhere where I’m wanting by the police. Especially when I’m an innocent man! 

I decided to pay Stan's ass a visit. I put on some scrubs I found so people will think I work here. I see that Stan's alone with a doctor so this is the perfect time for me to have a chat with him once the doctor is gone.

The doctor walks out with a nurse that I didn't realize was in there too. They're discussing some surgery Stan had and think that increased his chance of survival. They're hoping he comes out of his coma soon. That's not what I want!

Once they're gone, I walk in Stan's room. I look at him and shake my head. "It never had to come to this Stan...if you would've just stayed away from Kenny..."

I notice Stan's eyes start to flutter. Could this little asshole be waking up? Then he opens his eyes and looks around before focusing on me. "B-Butters?" He struggles to get out. That's when I notice his jaw has been wired shut. I smile at his situation.

"I told you, it's Lee to you!" I raise my hand up and he closes his eyes. I start laughing and I put my hand down. "You're so pathetic looking right now, that it would be low on my part to hit you right now."

He opens his eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to make it clear to you that just because Kenny "left" me, don't think he's going to come running to you!"

"Kenny?"

"Yes! Your little lover boy! I don't what he ever saw in you! But I refuse to let you come In between me and my investment!"

He shakes his head. "I didn't..." I notice he's reaching for his call button.

I grab it from him. "Oh no you don't!"

"Please..."

"Not until you hear everything I have to say!" I notice he has tears in his eyes. I smile. "Something wrong Stan? Am I upsetting you?"

He nods. "I haven't seen or spoken to Kenny in years before that night."

"I made sure of that. But for some reason, Kenny still has strong feelings for your pitiful ass!"

He shakes his head. "I don't think so..."

"I knew if we ever came back to South Park, you two would run into each other and all his feelings would return and that's exactly what happened!" This time, I back slap him before he has a chance to realize what's happening.

"Ouch!" He cries out as he rubs his cheek. "We were just talking, no feelings involved at all. I swear!"

"You ruined Kenny as it is! Because of you raping him he can't have sex without his asshole bleeding for weeks! So I'm sure you can imagine what kind of sex life we had!" I slap him again, this time harder than the first time.

Tears begin falling from his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to hurt Kenny, to him and everyone else…”

“I don’t give a fuck about those other whores! Kenny was my man and because of you he was NEVER the same and never will be the same again! I’m glad I took care of you!” 

“What do you mean?” 

I smile. “Let me fill you in on something. The first year you were in jail, you requested a flu shot. I made sure that instead of you getting that, you were injected with the AIDS virus. That’s how you contracted AIDS.” 

His eyes widen. “You did this? Why?”

“You ruined Kenny’s life so I wanted to ruin yours.” I stare at him up and down. “Look at you, you’re slowly wasting away! You’re nothing but pathetic waste of space! The world will be better off without you!” 

He shakes his head. “What about my kids? Do you want them to lose their father at a young age?” 

“What about them? You don’t even have custody of 3 of them and Abby is definitely better off without you! She can live her life like a normal teenager!” I get closer to him. “Most importantly, Kenny and I can continue our relationship without you being a threat to us! I wish I would’ve killed that day…but lucky for you, I’m not a murderer! I just want to make you suffer like you’ve made us suffer!” I look around and see a scalpel. I grab and hold it up. 

His eyes widen. “W-what a-are you going to do?” His voice is trembling. I can see the fear in his eyes and hear it in his voice. I’m loving it. 

I pull back his blanket. “Your dick has been a problem for so many people and now that you have AIDS, you really don’t have a use for it anymore. It’s time to get rid of it!” He closes his eyes as I raise the scalpel. 

“Get away from him!” I hear. I turn and see Abby standing at the door. “How the hell did you get in here?” She walks over and stands in between Stan and me. “Get out of here! I’m calling security!” 

“Your daughter won’t always be around to protect you! Remember that!” With that I leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Kenny and Kevin reconcile. 
> 
> Butters is caught.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kenny's POV

My bus has finally arrived in South Park. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm happy to be back home, but I'm disappointed about the circumstances. Not to mention that I don't have anything except the clothes on my back and the money left over from what the doctor gave me!

I get off the bus and as promised, Kevin is there waiting for me. I slowly make my way over to him. I'm still in a lot of pain so I can't move as fast as I normally would.

"Hey Kevin!" I say when I finally catch up to him.

His jaw drops as he stares me up and down. "Start talking, what the hell happened to you?"

"I need to sit down somewhere first..." I tell him as I continue to feel pain.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

I nod. "Yes. I think I had them release me too soon, but I so desperate to get out of Atlanta."

Kevin nods. "Okay, I'll take you and you can explain everything to me on the way."

On the way to the hospital, I tell Kevin everything. I tell him about Lee's steroid abuse, about how he makes me wait on him hand and foot, him cheating, how he attempted suicide when I tried to leave him. Then I go into the first time he beat me up and how I had my spleen removed.

"I called you because I wanted to come home then, but Lee showed up and apologized and I was stupid enough to forgive him." I explain.

"That was stupid on your part! I wish you would've told me what happened before you hung up. I would've came out there and brought you back here myself!"

I then tell him about the encounter I had with Stan at the bar that caused Lee to nearly beat him to death and how he was arrested. I also tell him I was planning to leave again and told him that when he finally came back home and that's when he beat me up again. I also tell him the extent of my injuries.

"I don't have any clothes and the only money I have is what the doctor gave me."

Kevin shakes his head. "It sounds like you should've stayed in the hospital!"

"I had to get out there! The longer I stayed in the hospital, the greater chance I would've had of running into Lee."

"Your health comes first!"

"I know, it's just-"

"I get it." He cuts me off. "You wanted to get away fast. It didn't matter that you have internal bleeding, bruising, or torn intestines. It doesn't matter that you could've died trying to make it here." He shakes his head.

"Kevin..."

He sighs. "I'm glad you're all right. Let's get you to the hospital."

When we arrived at the hospital, I had to wait in the ER for about 2 hours before finally getting a bed. Kevin stayed with me the entire up catching up.

"I'm glad you got the hell out of there. You need to be here anyway." He tells me.

"Yeah...I wish I didn't stay away for long. I also regret not staying in touch. You guys must have thought I was a real jerk."

He nods. "We did! I was starting to think you thought you were too good for us!"

"I'm really sorry. I was being foolish and listening to Lee's manipulations." I start to tear up. “He really made me think that I was in the way and you guys didn’t want me around.” I begin to cry. 

“Come on dude, don’t cry! If we felt that way, don’t you think we would’ve said something?” 

“I thought maybe you didn’t want to hurt my feelings…”

He chuckles. “Karen and I have said worse things that hurt your feelings. That would’ve been nothing.” 

I nod. “You’re right.” I bury my face in my hands. “I just hate that it had to come to this. I hate that I stayed with someone that has damaged several organs and nearly killed. I hate that I had to give up my career that I loved. Most of all I hate that all of this destroyed my relationship with my family.” 

Kevin puts his hand on my shoulder. “Your family relationship isn’t destroyed. I’m here, right?” 

“Yeah, but I know our relationship is forever strained.” 

He shrugs. “Well if you want it to be strained, it can be. We had an argument! We’re brothers, that’s what we do! That doesn’t mean I hate you or that the nature of our relationship has to change. Damn Kenny!” 

I smile a little. “Sorry, it’s just…well you know.”

He shakes his head and laughs. “You’re talking to me, not Butters!” 

“Yeah, that’s true.” 

“Besides, if you didn’t come here on your own, Kyle and I were going to come to Atlanta to get you away from that crazy asshole!” 

“You were? How did you even know?” 

“We didn’t know for sure. Abby brought it to mine and Karen’s attention. When I started thinking about your weird behavior, it started to make sense.” 

“Abby? You and Karen talked to her?” 

He nods. “She reached out to us because she was really worried about you. That girl really cares about you.” He smiles. 

“I care about her too. She’s a really sweet girl. I’m glad you and Karen talked to her. Maybe you guys can form a relationship with her.” 

He shrugs. “Maybe, one thing at a time. We have to get you squared away first.” 

I nod in agreement. I’m so glad that things are getting back on track. I’ve gotten far away from Lee, Kevin and I are on good terms again, I’m getting the medical attention I need, and hopefully I’ll be able to transfer my job. I’m feeling positive that everything is going to work out the way they’re suppose to. I smile at the very thought of it.

Butters’ POV 

My sources told me that Kenny is finally back in South Park. The only thing is, I don’t know where to find him. I’ve been checking out Kevin and Kyle’s homes and he’s not there. I even spent all day by Stan’s house and he’s not there either. I’m willing to bet he’s visiting Stan at the hospital, but his bitch of a daughter has his room heavily guarded now to ensure that I don’t find my way back into Stan’s room.

I head back to my parent’s house and when I walk in, they’re both standing there with their arms folded. Another man is sitting on the couch. “What’s going on?” I ask them. 

“Butters! What the hell have you done?” Mom asks. 

“I didn’t do shit!” 

“Don’t you take that tone with your mother, young man! You’re not too old to be grounded!” Dad tells me. 

I roll my eyes. “Yes I am. Now what are you guys going on about? I didn’t do a damn thing.” 

I see the man stand up and he walks over towards me and puts my hands behind my back. Holy crap, this dude is a cop. “Leopold Stotch, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Stanley Marsh.” He puts me in handcuffs.

“Oh Chris, I can’t watch!” Mom cries in dad’s arms. 

“Attempted murder? I didn’t try to kill him, I just whooped his ass.” I tell the cop. 

“You have the right to remain silent.” He continues to read me the Miranda rights. He also informs me I have other charges pending elsewhere. This is fucking great. I’m sure those other charges have to do with Kenny. That’s cool, I won’t be locked up for long, and when I get out Stan and Kenny’s asses are mine!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny learns the status of his job. 
> 
> Stan asks Abby to help him get in touch with his other kids.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Abby's POV

Once school let out, I immediately went to the hospital to check on daddy. When I arrived, he's sitting up in his bed and seems to be a little agitated.

"Daddy?" He looks at me. "Is everything okay?"

He shakes his head. "I want to see my other babies. I need to see them!" I notice he’s shaking a little.

"Give the Testaburger's a call..."

"I can't..."

"Why not?"

He shrugs. "What if they don't answer? Or hang up on me? You know I'm not their favorite person."

"You won't know if you don't try daddy." I hand him the phone.

He hesitates before taking the phone. He finally dials the number. "Hi, Mrs. Testaburger? It's Stan...Stan Marsh..." He looks at me and takes the phone from his ear. "She put me hold." He whispers to me.

I nod. "That's good! At least she didn't hang up you!"

He nods and puts the phone back to his ear. "Yes, I'm still here. Listen, I was wondering if I can please see my kids...it’s important that I see them. No, I'm in the hospital...yes, I'm sick...come on Mrs. Testaburger, please? Please let me see them."

I lower my head and shake it. I don't like how this conversation is going. He's practically begging to see them. This isn't right at all! I look back at him and see he has tears in his eyes.

"Thank you anyway..." He hangs up the phone. "I knew she would say no..." He closes his eyes and holds his head back.

"Don't give up!"

He shakes his head. "I have to. They have custody so I don't have any legal rights." He sighs. "I guess I deserve this..."

"No you don't. Why would you say that?"

"I kept Kenny away from you just to be spiteful. I made you think he didn't care about you. This is karma. I deserve every bad thing that's happening to me."

I put my hands on his shoulders. "Look at me!" He looks at me. "You're going to stop feeling sorry for yourself right now! You did bad things, we all have! You're only human! So you're sick! That doesn't mean you get to lie here and feel sorry yourself and give up on everything! Do you want to see your other kids?"

He nods. "Of course I do."

"Then don't give up until you see them!"

He smiles. "You're right, but there's only so much I can do. I haven't been released from the hospital yet." Then he looks at me. "Unless..." He smiles.

I frown. "Unless what?"

"Maybe you can try to reason with them..."

I’m taken aback by this. "Me?"

He nods. "Please Abby! You know how important it is for me to see them. Now more than ever!"

"Well if I call now, she's going to know you put me up to it."

"How about going over there and paying them a visit?"

I nod. "I can give that a try, but I don't want to leave you here alone again. I'm going to call Grandma and see if she'll stay here with you."

He folds his arms. "Abby, I'm a grown man! I don't need a babysitter."

"What if Lee comes back? Or someone else who isn't supposed to be here?"

"There's a guard outside of my room. I'll be fine."

"I'm not risking it!" I send my grandma a text to see if she'll come to the hospital while I run an errand. She replies back a moment later saying she'll be there shortly. When she gets here, I'll visit with my siblings and try to reason with Mr. and Mrs. Testaburger.

Kenny's POV

I've been in the hospital for almost two weeks now. My insides hurt so much that I could only eat one meal a day. I've lost some weight, I weigh 118 pounds. I was exhausted, having just enough energy to take a daily walk around the hospital and come back to my bed to sleep.

My insides never healed and I have to stay in the hospital for six more weeks, which included four days in critical care after extensive intestinal surgery.

During all of these weeks, all my siblings, nieces and nephews, and friends have visited me on a daily basis. I've been so grateful for that. I’m even more grateful that I haven’t seen or heard from Lee. I hope he’s rotting in jail where he belongs.

There's a knock on my door that wakes me up from a nap. I open my eyes and look and see Kyle from work.

"Hey Ken, how are you feeling?" He asks me.

"I've been better. What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you. I heard you were back in the hospital."

"How?"

"You listed your brother as a secondary emergency contact. I couldn't get a hold of you, so I called him to check on you."

I nod. "I see. Well thanks for coming to see me."

He smiles. "You're welcome. I have some good news for you."

"What is it?" Given everything I've been through the last few weeks, I definitely could use some good news.

"I spoke with Jim. We were able to get your job transferred out here."

My eyes light up. "Really?"

He nods. "Your start date is in six weeks. We figured that would give you time to get home and recover. If you're not feeling up to going in the office in six weeks, he's willing to let you work remotely until you are.”

"That's great Kyle, but what will I do about money in the meantime? I'm sure you can imagine what my medical bill is going to look like."

"I got you covered. You're going to remain on short term disability until you start work so you'll still be receiving 60 percent of your pay."

I smile. "Thank you so much Kyle! I've been stressing about how I was going to survive and what I was going to do about work and you took care of all of that! Not to mention you flew all the out here to see me. I can't thank you enough."

"You don't need to thank me..." He runs his fingers through my hair. I look up into his sparkling green eyes. The next thing I know, he brings his lips closer to mine until they're touching. He then kissing me oh so passionately. I haven't felt a kiss like this in years. I can't believe it's coming from Kyle though. I slowly push him away once he puts his tongue in my mouth.

His face turns cherry red. "Umm...I'm so sorry Kenny! I don't even know where that came from. I-I...umm..." He starts rubbing the back of his head.

He's embarrassed and stuttering, that's so cute! "It's okay Kyle, really..." I smile at him.

He looks down at his feet. "I better go. Take care Ken!" He quickly rushes out.

I can’t believe he ran out of here like that. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him I enjoyed the kiss. It just caught me off guard. I thought Kyle was straight! I'm really hoping that isn't the last time I see him...

Stan's POV

I'm still in the hospital. My mom is here along with Mr. Broflovski. Abby is at school that's why she isn't here. I just finished sealing up a few envelopes and I hand them to Mr. Broflovski.

"Stanley, are you sure you want to do this?" He asks.

I nod. "That's why I called you here as my lawyer. I just wanted to make sure I had everything in writing legally." I look at my mom who's wiping her eyes.

Mr. Broflovski puts the envelopes in his briefcase. "I'll hold onto these until the time is right. Just as you requested." He tells me.

"Thanks again Mr Broflovski."

He pats my shoulder. "You take care of yourself, son." He leaves.

Mom walks over to me and takes my hand. "Oh Stanley, my baby boy..." She continues to cry.

"Come on mom, I'm fine for right now. I'm just preparing for the future." I smile and give her hand a gentle squeeze. She looks at me and I nod. "It's going to be fine, you'll see." I continue smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Butters contacts Kenny.
> 
> Kenny confides in Kameron.
> 
> Stan asks to be released from the hospital.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kenny's POV

It's been another 3 weeks, and I'm still in the hospital recovering from my surgery. I'm not in as much pain anymore, but I still don't have much of an appetite. I haven't lost anymore weight which is a good thing, but I haven't gained any either.

The hospital phone rings and I answer it. "Hello?"

"Hello Kenneth!" I completely freeze, it's Lee calling. "Well aren’t you going to say anything?"

"Umm...hi..."

"That's all you have to say to me?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"You could start by asking where I am and how am I doing you idiot!" He snaps.

Aha, there he is! "Umm...how are you?"

He chuckles. "Funny you should ask. I have this boyfriend that I love with all my heart, but since he didn't appreciate what we have, he called the police on me and had me locked up for domestic abuse!"

"Uh..." I don't even know how to respond to that. I broke up with him so I’m not his boyfriend anymore.

"I can't believe you would call the police on me! It's bad enough that your little slut sister is trying to press charges against me for beating the crap out of her weak ass dad! If she thinks she's going to win her little lawsuit, she has another thing coming!"

"Lee, is there something you need?"

"Yes! You back in my life and in my bed!"

"Lee..."

"I'm back in Atlanta. I'm out on bail. I have to go back to South Park for court. I'll probably have to go to court here unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you drop the charges."

I shake my head. "Lee..."

"You can come back home and I'll take really good care of you. I'll cook for you, clean for you. I'll do all the grocery shopping. I'll be attentive to all your needs." I notice he's sniffling. "We'll pretend like this never happened."

"Lee, I've been in the hospital for over a month now! You tore through my intestines! I can't pretend like it didn't happen!"

"I'm so sorry Kenny! I love you and sometimes my anger gets the best of me!"

"Well your sorry isn't going to heal my insides!"

He starts crying. "Please Kenny. I'll do anything! I can to make it up to you!"

"I'm sorry Lee, but we're done. I don't want anything else to do with you. I gave you a second chance before and look at how that turned out."

"It won't happen! I mean it this time."

I have to remain strong. "I mean it too. We're over, for good this time!"

"Kenny, I'll die without you!"

I take a deep breath. "I don't know what to tell you..."

"You don't care?"

"I do, but I'm not taking you back! Maybe you should seek professional help..."

"Fine Kenny!" His whole tone changes completely. "Do you think you're going to end up with Kyle? I know he's divorcing Jessica. So I guess you think you have a chance now? Well you don't! He's still in love with her and will never love you the way he loves her! Hell, no one would ever love you! Don't even waste your time!"

My face turns red with embarrassment. Did he find out about my kiss with Kyle? "Kyle and I are friends. He's there and I'm here so obviously there will never be anything between us..." Even though I wouldn't mind given it a try.

Lee begins laughing. "Whatever helps you sleep better at night you pathetic loser! You're making the biggest mistake dumping me I hope you know that!"

"Not really. I'll be alive and hopefully healthy again. I may even find someone who actually wants to marry me and maybe have kids..."

He laughs again. "Dude, you're 33 and you act like you're 3! No one in their right mind will marry you and you’re too immature to have a kid. Why do you think after 8 years I never asked you to marry me? I want a spouse, not a child! I fucking hate kids! Grow up and give up on your stupid childish fantasy already! It's never going to happen!"

I feel myself tearing up. "That's fine Lee. I guess I'll see you when we go to court!" I hang up on him. I bury my face in my hands. His words really got to me. I burst into tears. I hate to admit this, but he's absolutely right! Everything he said.

I hear a knock on my door and I quickly wipe my eyes. I look up and see Kam. He has a huge smile on his face. "Uncle Kenny!" His smile quickly turns into a frown. "What's the matter?"

I shake my head. "Nothing, I'm fine." I force a smile.

He narrows his eyes. "Uncle Kenny, just because I didn't see you for years, doesn't mean I don't know when you're upset." He sits in a chair next to me. "Talk to me! Tell me what's going on!"

"I just spoke to Lee..."

He smacks his forehead. "Please tell me you're not getting back with that psychopath!"

I shake my head. "Oh God no! He just said some things that really got to me."

He raises his eyebrow. “Like what?” 

I explain to him how he called begging me to take him back and how he said no one will ever love me or want to marry me and calling me immature. I also told him what he said about Kyle. 

“That’s pretty deep. I wouldn’t listen to that loser if I were you. He’s obviously crazy and delusional!” 

I wipe my eyes. “I know, but I feel like there’s some truth to what he said. All I’ve ever wanted was to settle down and have a family. It’s happened for everyone around me except for me. Clearly I’m doing something wrong.” 

“You still want a family? I thought you gave up on that.” 

I sigh. “I was willing to make that sacrifice for Lee. But that void was always there.” 

He shrugs. “Well Lee is out of the picture, so why can’t you have a kid if that’s what you want?” 

“By myself?” 

“Sure, I have friends that only have one parent and they’re just fine.” 

“I never wanted to do it alone though.” 

“What about Kyle? Maybe you two can be together.” He suggests. 

“I don’t know about him. I haven’t seen or heard from him since he kissed me. I think he’s embarrassed by that.” 

He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Uncle Kenny, my dad always told me if there’s something that I really want, then work hard and fight until I get it! I don’t see why that can’t apply to you in this situation.” 

I smile. “You’re right! I will fight for what I want!” I nod my head and continue smiling. “You’re very wise for a 13 year old you know that?” 

He shrugs. “I guess. I guess something dad said finally sunk in.” He chuckles. 

“I’ll say. It was good advice.” 

“Good, and good luck to you. I hope you get everything you want!” 

“Me too Kam, me too…” 

Stan’s POV

I’m still stuck in the hospital. I finally had the wires removed from my jaw about a week ago so it feels great to be able to talk without that and to eat solid food again! 

Abby has been trying for weeks to convince Wendy’s parents to let me see the kids, but they turned her down. She even reached out to Wendy to try to get her to convince her parents, but she said no as well. They blame me for Wendy being in jail and they think I’m a deadbeat dad and a loser because I went to jail for 6 years. They don’t think I’m fit to raise a puppy much less children. 

I’m alone in my room for once. Abby is at school and mom is at work. I just finished eating, or should I say nibbling, my lunch when the doctor comes in. “How are you feeling Mr. Marsh?” She asks me.

“May I please go home now Dr. Waters?” I ask her. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re getting worse every day, even with the medication we’re giving you. If we release you, you’ll definitely shorten your life.” 

I nod. “I understand that. But like you said, I’m getting worse every day. Clearly I’m not better off here then I would be at home. Right?” 

“Well, I-“ 

“I would much rather be at home. I hate hospitals and I don’t want to die in one! I want to be at home with my daughter and my parents. Whatever time I have left, I want to spend it with them…at home!” 

“Are you sure you want to take that risk? I mean absolutely sure?” 

“Yes! I don’t want to be here! I want to be with my family!” I tell her once again. 

She nods. “I write up your release papers. When you have someone to get you, I’ll release you. It’s important that you follow up with me every week and take your medication.” 

At this point, there really isn’t any point to doing all of that. But I want to go home, so I’m not going to argue with her. “I promise, I will take my medication.” 

“And follow up with me…” 

“I’ll do that too.” I smile. 

She nods. “I’ll get the release papers.” She walks out. 

Good! I’m so glad I’m finally getting the hell out here! I never wanted to die in the hospital, I want to die at home surrounded by my loved ones! I’m going to get my wish!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny is released from the hospital. 
> 
> Kenny and Kyle from work have a heart to heart.
> 
> Stan and Abby spend some quality time together.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kenny's POV

After 8 weeks, I'm finally getting released from the hospital! I was supposed to be released a few weeks ago, but I ended up catching pneumonia and had to stay. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, I'm at a higher risk for infectious diseases since my spleen has been removed. I guess it's a good thing I was in the hospital and it was caught early.

Kevin comes in my room. "You ready to go?"

I nod. "You bet I am! I'm tired of seeing this hospital room!"

"I know you are. We got a room all set up for you."

"Thank you! Man, I can't wait to get out of here, get settled, and get back to work! I almost forgot what that feels like!"

Kevin raises his eyebrow. "You're going back to work already? Don't you think it's a little soon?"

I shake my head. "I was supposed to start two weeks ago. I'm trying to make sure I keep my job!"

"I think you should consider taking some more time off..."

"I can work remotely. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

That following Monday, I started working again. I was going to go to the office, but I was still feeling a little weak and tired so I decided to work remotely. There wasn't much for me to do since they expected me to be out again so all my work has been divided up amongst the rest of the team. I figured I would go through my 900 plus emails and respond to any as needed.

I see a few "Welcome Back" emails from some colleagues. I respond back to them. I notice an email from Kyle asking me to look over some requests. I send an email back letting him know I'll get to it as soon as possible.

I immediately get a response from him that says, ‘Can you call me on my cell please?’

I pick up my phone and call him. "Hey Ken." He answers.

"Hey. You wanted me to call?"

"I did..."

There's a moment of silence. "...did you need something?" I ask him.

"Umm, yeah...I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the hospital."

"Oh, that's okay, I-"

"Listen!" He interrupts me. "I want to apologize for that kiss."

"Kyle, you really don't have to apologize."

"Yes I do, that wasn't appropriate at all and I'm sure I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I wasn't uncomfortable, I...I enjoyed it actually..." I smile.

"I'm really sorry. I've been so depressed about my pending divorce and I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry if I led you on."

I feel my heart sink. "So the kiss meant nothing to you?"

"Ken, I'm your boss and we're in two different states."

"So?"

"There can't be anything between us. Like I said, I was upset about Jessica and I really don't know what came over me. Again, I'm really sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

I nod. "It's cool, I guess I was feeling a little vulnerable after what happened between Lee and I." I lie. I don't want him to know that I've started to develop feelings for him.

"Are you sure? I really don't want this to jeopardize our working relationship or our friendship."

"Don't worry about that, it won't. We're both adults that got caught up in the moment."

I hear him sigh. "Oh thank goodness! I was really worried about that. That's why I've kind of been avoiding you. I didn't know how to appropriately address this subject. Again, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to keep apologizing, I get it." I laugh.

"So how are you feeling? Are you home or in the office?"

"I'm home. I'm still a little tired and weak. I'm going to try to go to the office tomorrow."

"Only if you're feeling up to it. We don't want you to kill yourself trying to go back to work."

"I won't, but I don't want Jim to think I'm taking advantage of this more than generous offer or any of my colleagues thinking I'm getting special treatment."

"I wouldn't worry about that. Just focus on getting healthy."

"I am, but I don't want to get fired either."

"Don't worry about that either. I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"Thanks..." Followed by more awkward silence.

"So have you heard from Lee?" I cringe just at hearing his name.

"Yeah unfortunately. He called me while I was in the hospital."

"Oh boy! How did that go?"

I shrug. "Well he wants me back. I told him no."

"Good for you! I'm glad you didn't give that creep another chance. You deserve much better."

"Maybe I don't..." I mumble.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"I mean it Ken. You're smart and funny and overall a really nice guy." I'm just glad he called me a nice guy and not a nice kid. "You deserve a man who will love and treat you the way you deserve to be treated. You don't need some tool who beats and cheats on you."

'I wanted that guy to be you...' I think to myself. "Thanks Kyle. I think I'm going to get back to work now." I tell him.

"Okay Ken, I guess this conversation is getting a little awkward." He chuckles nervously. The whole conversation was awkward. "Well if you need anything at all, I'm just a phone call away."

"Yeah, same here." Oh god, why did I say that? I don't want him to call me again!

"Cool, later." I hang up the phone nearly in tears.

I'm completely disappointed in how that conversation turned out. I really was hoping that Kyle was going to tell me that he had feelings for me. Why did he have to kiss me? Why did I have to enjoy the kiss? Maybe Lee was right, no one will ever want me. No one will want to marry me and start a family with me. That's fine, maybe relationships aren't for me. Maybe it's time for me to pursue my dream of parenthood...

Stan's POV

I've been home for a month now, and I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. I'm still very weak and constantly in a lot of pain, but I'm glad that I'm at home with my family instead of being in that depressing hospital. 

Sometimes I use a wheelchair to get around because some days it's hard for me to stand or even walk without feeling like my legs are going to give out. I’ve lost so much weight even after leaving the hospital. I’m down to 150. I’ve even started losing my hair and I’m getting more purple spots all over. 

I left my chair in the living room and was able to make it to the kitchen to fix some lunch. I'm preparing a surprise for Abby. She's been so wonderful throughout this whole ordeal so I wanted to do something nice for her to show my appreciation.

I wanted to start off by fixing a few turkey sandwiches. I take out the turkey, lettuce, and tomatoes. I start cutting up the lettuce when I accidentally cut my finger.

"Oh shit!" I whisper loudly. I notice my finger is bleeding and my blood is not only on the knife, but some of it got on the lettuce too. "Damnit..."

"Daddy?" I turn around and see Abby. "What are you doing?"

"Stay back! I have to clean up this mess! I don't want you to touch anything!"

"What happened?"

"I was fixing some sandwiches and I cut myself!" I tell her as I throw the lettuce in the trash.

She walks over to me. "Why didn't you just ask me to fix you a sandwich?" She tries to assist me in cleaning up, but I stop her.

"Abby! I'm serious, don't touch this mess! I was bleeding and I don't want you to touch anything I may have bled on."

"Daddy..."

"It's okay Abby, I got this!" I tell her as I wash my hand and the knife. "I don't want you to touch it and get tainted with my blood. I would never forgive myself if you ended up like me!"

She smiles. "Daddy, you're being silly!"

"No I'm not, I'm being cautious!"

"If you were hungry, why didn't you just tell me? I would've fixed you something to eat! Where's your wheelchair?"

"I didn't need my chair. I didn't tell you because I was trying to plan a surprise picnic for you..."

"A picnic?"

I nod. "Yes, when you were younger, you always asked me to have a picnic with you and I always said no. I wanted to take this time to make it up to you."

She chuckles. "Daddy, I was 6..."

"So you don't want to do it?"

She smiles and nods. "Of course we can. You can finish cleaning, and I'll make the sandwiches. Deal?"

I nod. "Deal." I tell her not really wanting to argue with her. These days, I don’t have much strength to even try to put up a fight with her.

About an hour later, we set up a picnic blanket in the backyard. Originally, I wanted to do this at the park, but Abby insisted that we stay close to home just to be on the safe side. I swear sometimes I feel like a child all over again. This isn't how I want to live the rest of the time I have on earth.

Abby puts out the picnic basket. She packed a few turkey sandwiches, salad, fruit, chips, and water. She really did an excellent job with the set up. We sit and eat (well more so Abby eats) and chat and just enjoy each other’s company. 

“This was a really great idea Daddy!” Abby tells me.

“Thanks, I just wish it could’ve been a surprise like I intended.” 

She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter, it was still a good time.” 

“Yeah…” I sigh. I start thinking about my other kids.

“What’s wrong?” 

I shake my head. “Nothing, I don’t want to kill the mood.” 

She frowns. “Come on Daddy, talk to me. What’s on your mind?” 

I sigh. “I just wish I could see your siblings just one last time…”

She puts her arm around me. “Try to stay positive, you’ll see them again.” 

I shake my head and start crying. “I don’t think it’s going to happen. We’ve tried everything and Wendy and her parents refuse to let me see them. I can’t believe even behind bars, Wendy is still able to call the shots.” 

Abby hands me a tissue. “Excuse my language, but Wendy is a complete bitch and her parents are assholes! They’re only doing this because they’re mad that you divorced Wendy’s psycho ass! I understand that you’re frustrated and you want to give up, but don’t! We’re going to get you the best lawyer out there so you can get custody of them!” 

I nod. “Thanks Abby.” I say quietly. Little does she know, I truly feel it’s too late. I’m never going to see my kids again. I won’t be able to tell them goodbye. I won’t get to say how much I love them. I wipe my tears away and I start to feel chilly. “Is it me, or did it get cold all of a sudden?” 

Abby raises her eyebrow. “It’s 70 degrees out…” 

“Really?” I chuckle nervously. “I’m freezing.” I start shivering.

She nods. “Oh my God, you’re shaking! Why don’t we relocate inside? We can watch a movie or something.” 

“Sure.” 

“Good, go on in. I’ll clean up and get you a blanket.” I nod and slowly head inside. I start feeling even weaker than I did when we first came out here. 

Abby’s POV

After I clean up from the picnic and getting a thick winter comforter, I join daddy on the couch. We decided to watch Paranormal Activity 5. Daddy takes my hand and squeezes it gently. I notice his hand is cold. I ask him if he wants me to turn the heat on, but he declines. 

“So tell me, what’s going on in your life?” Daddy asks. 

“What do you mean? You already know. I go to school, work, and I take care of you.” 

He laughs. “I mean, what about your social life? I’ve never met any of your friends. Do you have a boyfriend or anything?” 

“Dad!” Why is he asking me these embarrassing questions? 

“Come on Abby, tell me.” 

I sigh. “Well the reason why you’ve never met any of my friends is because I don’t have any.” 

“You don’t?” His eyes widen. “I don’t get that, you’re such a sweet girl. They should be lucky to have your friendship.”

“You’re my dad, of course you would say that. I’m kind of an outcast at school. The kids think I’m some kind of freak because I’m tall and because of the way I dress. I like wearing all black, but I’m not a Goth which I’m often mistaken for. Plus they know my mom is dead and that you were in jail and about you having AIDS.” I shrug. “It’s probably for the best anyway. I don’t need friends like those judgmental jerks!” 

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault. So obviously as far as a boyfriend, no, I don’t have one of those either. There is a guy I kind of have a crush on. He’s in my grade, but he doesn’t even know I exist.” 

“Well you’re only 15, having a boyfriend isn’t important anyway. Focus on school, go to college, and get a good job. Make something of yourself. In other words, be the complete opposite of your parents.” 

“Oh daddy…” 

“Just know that I’m always proud of you…” 

“I know that Daddy. I’m proud of you too. You still have time to turn your life around too. You’re only 33, so you’re still young. As long as you keep taking your meds and keep up with your appointments, you can still live a long life and achieve everything you didn’t when you were younger. I believe in you daddy!” I smile, but that immediately changes when daddy doesn’t respond. “Daddy?” I look at him and he appears to be sleeping…except he doesn’t appear to be breathing and his skin looks a little bluish. I shake my head and immediately tears form in my eyes. “Daddy? DADDY! Please!” I keep shaking him. “No, Daddy please don’t go! It’s not time! You still have a lot to do!” I cry still trying to accept the fact that he’s no longer with us. I call 911 and my grandparents. While I wait for the ambulance to get there, I hold daddy in my arms and continue to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny pursues his options to becoming a parent.
> 
> Abby has an asthma attack.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Abby's POV

The paramedics and my grandparents arrived around the same time. The paramedics are trying their best to revive daddy, but so far no luck. I'm not giving up yet! Both grandma and grandpa have their arms around me.

The paramedic walks over to us and shakes his head. "I'm so sorry, we're unable to revive him. He's gone..."

Grandma breaks down crying. I break free from them and kneel down beside daddy. "You didn't try hard enough!" I tell the paramedic as I try to perform CPR. "Come on daddy, wake up!"

Grandpa walks over to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Sweetheart, he's gone..."

I start crying. "No he's not! We were just having a conversation! He can't be dead!" I try CPR again, but to no avail. "Daddy please wake up so everyone can see you're not dead!"

"Honey, we knew this was going to happen. We've literally sat here and watched him slowly waste away..."

"He still has more time!" I look at daddy and shake him again. "Come on daddy, remember what we talked about? You want to see your other kids again. You can't go without saying goodbye to them!" I look at grandpa. "He wanted that more than anything! He's not at peace!"

"We have to get him to the morgue..." I hear the paramedic whisper to grandpa.

Grandpa tries to pull me away, but I hug daddy. "Abby, come on! Please let the paramedics do his job..."

I shake my head. "I'm not letting them take my dad to a morgue! He's going to wake up! Just give him some time!" I continue hugging him.

"You have to let go. Your dad is gone, I'm sorry sweetheart..."

I shake my head again. "No he's not! He's only 33, he has his whole life ahead of him!"

"I know he's young, but it's over." This time, grandpa successfully pulls me away from him. Another paramedic joins in assisting in putting his body in a body bag and carrying him out on a stretcher!

"NOOOOOO!" I cry out and bury my face into grandpa's shoulders and continue to cry. Grandpa rubs my back.

"He's in a better place now...he's not suffering anymore..."

“I just want a few more minutes with him! I didn’t even get to tell him how much I love him!” 

“He knows Abby, he knows. You’ve been taking care of him since he got out of jail. That kind of dedication alone shows how much you loved him.” 

“I’m going to miss him grandpa! Why did he have to die?” I continue crying.

Grandma comes over to us and she hugs me as well. "I'm going to miss him too dear. That was my baby boy..." She breaks down again.

I start feeling a tightness in my chest. I pull away from my grandparents and slowly make my way over to couch.

"Abby, are you okay?" Grandma asks.

Shake my head. "No, I'm not okay! I want my dad!" I start wheezing.

"Where's your inhaler?" Grandpa asks me.

"In...my...purse..." I manage to get out in between breaths. I start coughing and can feel sweat dripping down my face.

Grandma retrieves my inhaler out of my purse and rushes over to me. "Here you go honey."

I use it, but it's not helping me at all. "It's...not...working..." I try to use it again and I can feel the tightness in my chest getting tighter. I continue wheezing. "Need...daddy...he knows...what...to...do..."

"Abby, you know he can't help you, he's-" That's the last thing I remember hearing grandpa say before everything goes black.

Kenny's POV

I've finally made it back to the office. I've finished up my work for the day since they're still giving me a small work load. I figured I would take this time to research some adoption agencies.

During my search, I come across something interesting...surrogacy. I never even thought about that as an option. I think I like that idea better. I can have a baby that's biologically mine.

I decide to go ahead and sign up for a free consultation. My appointment is Friday at 6. Good, that gives me time to get off work and get there! I'm excited to start my parenthood journey.

That evening after dinner, I decide to talk to Kevin about my plans. He narrows his eyes at me. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yeah! You don't think so?"

"Well one this is a lot of money and a long process. Two, do you really want to be a single dad raising a child? Kids are hard work even with two parents."

"Kevin, you know I've always wanted to be a dad. Yes, I would've loved to have gotten married first, but I don't see that happening anytime soon if at all. So why do I need to give up on my dream?"

"Because you're not being realistic! First of all, where are you and the baby going live? Here with me and my family?"

"No, I'll get a place. Maybe I'll move back into mom and dad's house since it never sold."

"Do you really want to raise a child in that neighborhood?"

"It won't be permanent, just until I find a better place."

He shakes his head. "You really need to reconsider. A baby isn't a toy, you know? It’s not something you can play with and put away when you decide you don’t want it anymore!"

I frown. "Of course I know that! You don't think I'm capable of raising a baby?"

He shakes his head. "Honestly Kenny I don't. I think you still have some growing up to do before you bring a child into this world."

"Kevin, I normally listen and follow your advice, but this is one time I'm not going to! I want to have a baby, and that's what I'm going to do! Whether you like it or not! It’s my life, damn it!"

He shrugs. "Fine, it's your life! God help that kid!"

"That's a horrible thing to say!"

"What, are you going to cry now? Please do and just further prove my point that you need to grow up!" I try to walk away, but he stops me. "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!"

"I don't want to hear anything else you have to say! You’re being so rude right now!”

He laughs. “I’m being rude?” 

I nod. “You know, I didn't say anything when you made a decision to have kids you can't afford! It's okay for you to have a when you're not ready, but I can't because you deem me too immature? That's not fair!"

"It's not fair to bring a child into this world when you're not man enough to raise them!"

"Again, was it fair for you to bring kids into this world that you couldn't afford? Remember I'm the one that paid for your wife to get fertility treatments! I supported your decision! I didn't try to shit on your dreams and tear you down in the process! If anything you should be thanking me that you even have biological kids!" The next thing I know, Kevin punches me knocking me to the floor.

"Kevin!" We both turn and look and see Missy and Karen. "What's going on? Why did you just deck Kenny?" Missy asks.

He glares at me and then looks at Missy. "We'll talk about it later." He looks at me. "I think you should find somewhere else to stay for the night." He storms off.

"I'll talk to him." Missy tells me as she follows behind him.

Karen kneels down next to me and helps me off the ground. "What the hell is going on?" She asks me.

I wipe my mouth and notice there's blood all over my hand. I'm so angry right now that crying is the last thing on my mind! I can't believe Kevin hit me! "We had a disagreement."

"It must have been a huge disagreement for him to hit you like that! Do you want me to look at that?" She tries to touch my face, but I push her hand away.

"No, I'm fine!" I tell her.

She puts her hands up in defeat. "I came by to tell you that Abby's in the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"She had an asthma attack."

"Oh my God! I have to see her!" I turn and head towards the door.

"Kenny, wait! There's something else you need to know..."

I turn and look at her. "What is it?"

"Stan died this afternoon..."

My jaw drops. "Are you serious?"

She nods. "He died in Abby's arms."

I start tearing up. "I have to see Abby!" I quickly rush out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Abby is in denial.
> 
> Kyle learns about Stan's passing.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kenny's POV

I’m still trying to process the fact that Stan is gone. This is a guy I once dated, I was in love with, thought I had a future with. He’s dead, gone, never coming back. This feels so surreal.

I arrived at the hospital and after checking in, I make my way to Abby's room. I see Mr. and Mrs. Marsh sitting in the room. Abby is lying in the bed and I’m kind of shocked that she’s not hooked up to a bunch of machines. 

"Kenny!" Abby greets me.

"Hey Abby." I look at Mr. and Mrs. Marsh. "Hello."

They both say hi in return. Mrs. Marsh stands up. "We'll give you two sometime alone." She tells me. Mr. Marsh stands up as well.

I nod. "Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss." I tell them.

"Thank you." Mrs. Marsh moves closer to me. "Be careful what you say to Abby. She's having a hard time accepting Stan's death."

I nod as they leave. I sit down beside Abby. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better. Hopefully they'll release me tomorrow." She tells me. “They wanted me to stay overnight for more observations, but I’m just fine.”

"That's good to hear." I smile.

"I can't believe my dad hasn't come by to see me yet."

I sigh. I know I have to be careful about what I say, but at the same time, I can't let her get her hopes up. "Abby," I take her hand, "you know your dad passed away, right?"

She pulls her hand away and shakes her head. "No he didn't! Why are you and my grandparents trying to make me think he's dead? He's not!"

"But he is..."

"No he isn't! We were having a beautiful conversation just before I had my asthma attack! He was alive and well!"

"Don't you think if he were alive, he would be here by your side?"

"My dad has AIDS, he's on medication that makes him very tired. He's been doing a lot of sleeping lately."

"He's going to be sleeping for a long time..."

"Stop saying that! My daddy is alive and well!" She folds her arms. 

"Abby, I know you want to believe that, but you have to accept-"

"I don't have to accept shit because it's not true! I know my dad is very sick, but that doesn't mean you guys have the right to come here and wish him dead! It's not time for him to go! I've read online that people with AIDS can live with the disease for 10-20 years. That's going to be my dad!"

I start tearing up. "I know you really want to believe that Abby, but unfortunately, he lost his battle sooner than you expected. I'm sorry Abby..."

She breaks down in tears. "I don't understand it! We just had a picnic! We were watching a movie together! How can he be dead?"

I hug her. "Shh..." I whisper gently in her ear as I cry with her. "I know it's going to be tough, but you'll get through this..."

She shakes her head. "No I won't! I miss him so much already! I just want him to come in here and tell me it was all a joke!" She cries harder.

"I know you do, but trust me, you'll get through this. Just give it time."

"He was in so much pain, physically and emotionally. All he wanted was one last time to tell my brothers and sister how much he loved them and he was denied that because of stupid Wendy and her stupid parents!"

I nod. "I know, that's really messed up."

"He was walking around in pain for so long. He was really hurting. There were times I would just hold him in my arms and let him cry because even when he took pains meds, he was still in a lot of pain and he said it was unbearable. I had to force him to eat when he refused. I was there cleaning up his puke when he was too weak to make it to the bathroom. I gave him extra blankets when he was cold. He was always sleeping and I constantly checked on him just to make sure he was still breathing!" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I know how badly he was suffering, I do. But selfishly I still wanted him to be here!" She continues sobbing.

"At least take comfort in knowing he's not suffering anymore."

She nods. "I'm trying to, but I just want him here! I want my daddy!"

"He's with you in spirit." I smile. "He's now in heaven looking down and watching over you."

She smiles. “Thanks Kenny.” I hug her again. 

Kyle’s POV

Kyla is doing her homework at the kitchen table while I’m feeding Kristen. Karen comes in the door and gives me a kiss. “How was your day?” I ask her. 

“Eventful…” She takes Kristen from me and continues feeding her. She seems a little distracted. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“There’s something I need to tell you…” She looks at Kyla. “Sweetie, take your homework up to your room. I need to talk to your daddy.” 

“Okay!” She answers as she takes her stuff upstairs. Karen puts Kristen in the playpen and sits down next to me. 

“What’s going on?” I ask her. 

“There’s something you need to know…” She says in the really serious tone. 

“Babe, what is it? Just spit it out.” 

She sighs and takes my hand. “Stan passed away…” 

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?” 

She nods. “He passed this afternoon. Abby was at the hospital because she had an asthma attack, that’s how I found out.” 

I exhale deeply. “Oh my God…” I feel myself tearing up. 

“Are you okay?” 

I shake my head. “He was my childhood best friend. We had a falling out and I didn’t speak to him for 8 years. He even tried reaching out to me after he got out of jail, but I pushed him away. H-he apologized to me and wanted to work on our friendship.” A tear drops from my eyes. “At that time, I didn’t know he was sick. Even when I found out, I still never went to him and told him I forgive him.” 

Karen hugs me. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. The Stan you grew up with wasn’t the same guy he became as an adult. You did what you thought was right for you.” 

“It doesn’t matter. I could’ve and should’ve been the bigger person and forgave him.” 

“Don’t forget why you stopped being friends with him. He raped my brother and he attacked you! Remember you had to have plastic surgery to get those disgusting bite marks removed. Oh God, what if he gave you-“

“Don’t even go there!” I interrupt her. “That happened before he was diagnosed. Besides, how can you be so cold and heartless? A man just died. His kids don’t have a father anymore. One of them being your sister! Where’s your compassion? You’re a nurse for Christ’s sake!” 

She nods. “You’re right, you’re right. I’m letting my anger cloud my judgment. A man is dead and no matter what he did, he didn’t deserve to go out like that.” 

I shake my head. “No he didn’t. Thank you for telling me.” I give her a kiss. “I’m going to visit his parents.” 

“Don’t you think you should call first?” 

“No, I’m sure they have a lot of relatives to call and spread the news to. I’m just going to go and offer my condolences. I’ll see if they need help with the arrangements or anything too.” 

“Are you sure you want to do this babe?” 

I nod. “I owe Stan at least that much.” I tell her before giving her a kiss and walking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Stan’s funeral takes and has an unexpected guest. 
> 
> Kenny has his surrogacy consultation.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Kenny's POV

I have arrived at my appointment for the surrogacy consultation. I'm praying that this really works out in my favor, because if it does, I'll finally be on my way to making my dreams of having a baby come true.

The receptionist gives me a questionnaire to fill out. It has basic questions like my marital status, how many kids do I have, how many do I want, why do I want a surrogate, do I want to attend appointments, do I want to know the sex of the baby, how much contact do I want with the surrogate, do I want to surrogate to pump breast milk, have I ever been convicted of a crime. I laugh to myself, some of these questions are kind of silly. But I fill out the form and hand it back to the receptionist.

"The doctor will be with you momentarily." She smiles.

"Thank you." I tell her as I have a seat and wait.

"Kenny McCormick?" I finally hear my name called after what feels like forever.

I stand up and walk over to the doctor. "Hi, I'm Kenny."

She shakes my hand. "Dr. Greene. Come on back." I follow her to her office. We go in and she closes the door. "Have a seat." I sit down. "So you're interested in hiring a surrogate?"

I nod. "Yes Doctor. It's always been my dream to be a dad."

"I see that you're single."

I nod again. "Yes."

She then has an attorney join us to review the programs and their agency protocols. She first hands me a pamphlet. “I would like to start this consultation by asking you a few questions.” 

“Sure.” 

I'm asked why I want children and how I came to surrogacy, what my support system looks like, whether friends or family know I'm interested in surrogacy, how will I prepare for my child once the surrogate becomes pregnant. Basically similar questions to what was on the questionnaire, just worded differently.

"So do you have any questions for us?" Dr. Greene asks.

I shake my head. "No, it seems to be a pretty straightforward process." I tell her as I glance at the pamphlets I was giving.

"We hope that the consultation helps you understand the process and what is involved. We understand that this can be an overwhelming process. We also understand that there are many questions and emotions involved. After all, it is one the biggest decisions that you will make in your life! Many of our staff members are parents through surrogacy and/or egg donation. We are happy to share our experiences with you so you hear firsthand what others go through to help answer any questions you might have."

I nod. "Thank you, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Dr. Greene proceeds to tell me, if I would like to proceed with this company, I have to sign an Agreement for Services and send in the appropriate funds. Once the Agreement is signed and funds have arrived, you will be assigned a Program Coordinator, who will guide you through every phase of the process.   
I shake her hand. "Thank you so much! I definitely plan to proceed with this company."

"Great! We're going to make your dreams come true!" She escorts me to sign the Agreement for Service and gives me a copy of the bill. I let her know that I will send the payment ASAP and she escorts me out. 

I can't believe it! I'm one step closer to becoming a dad! I just have to hurry up and get the money so I can get this process started as soon as possible! I could be a dad by this time next year if all goes well! 

A few days later, Stan's funeral is being held. Abby and Mrs. Marsh are standing by the casket crying. Mr. Marsh escorts Mrs. Marsh to her seat. Abby remains there. I walk over to her and put my arm around her.

"I still can't believe it!" She cries as buries her head on my shoulders. "This seems like a bad dream..."

"I know it does..."

"I just want him to pop up and say he's okay..."

"I know you do." I try to lead her away from the casket. "Come on, let's take a seat."

She nods. "Will you sit with me?"

"Umm...sure." I'm a little uneasy about this because I really don't want to be close to the casket.

"Thanks." We sit down. 

I watch as I see people come in one by one to pay their respects. Kyle actually showed up. A few of our other classmates came as well. Such as Cartman, Craig, Clyde, Bebe, Token, Nichole, Red, Tweek, Jimmy, and Timmy. It's nice to see that they came. 

They each come over and offer their condolences to Stan’s parents and Abby. They’re each giving a hug and thanked for coming to the funeral. Kyle walks over to Abby and takes her hand.

“Abby, if you need anything and I mean anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call me, okay?” He tells her. 

She nods and smiles. “I will, thank you Kyle.” They hug each other. “I know you guys had a falling out, but my dad really did care about you and he respected you.” 

“He did?” 

“Yeah…you were the only true friend he ever had.”

“Aw dude, now I really feel terrible…” 

She smiles. “Don’t. He understood.” Kyle nods and walks away wiping his eyes. 

"I don't see my siblings here." Abby whispers angrily to me referring to the twins and Sarah. 

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here." I whisper back.

Everyone is making their way to their seats. Priest Maxi is making his way to the front while a hymn is playing.

"The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you." Priest Maxi states once the hymn is over.

"And with your spirit!" Everyone says.

"If you would turn to the Book of Job 19-"

Suddenly the door opens and everyone turns to look. It's Wendy with a guard. She's in her orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. They start walking towards Stan's casket. I see Abby quickly get up and heads towards Wendy.

"Abby!" I whisper loudly as I try to grab her shirt, but it doesn't do any good. She continues to rush towards Wendy.

Abby and Wendy are now face to face. "You BITCH!" Abby slaps her as hard as she can.

Wendy looks at her and smiles sadistically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Wendy drops a bomb on Abby!
> 
> Kenny, Abby, and Kenny are affected by Stan's words.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Abby's POV

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask Wendy. 

She laughs. "Is that the best you can do? Why don't you go ahead and get the other side? Might as well keep things even, I don't want to look like I'm wearing too much blush on one side."

"Bitch!" I raise my hand.

"Abby!" Grandma walks over to me. "She's not worth it." She looks at Wendy. "Why are you here?"

Grandpa walks over to us. "If you're here to make trouble then you can leave!"

Wendy shakes her head. "I'm here to pay my respects...to my late husband!"

That's followed by gasps heard throughout the church. Plus a few whispers.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her. "My dad divorced your sorry ass!"

Wendy shakes her head. "That's what he thinks. I never signed the papers! I refused to! I told him he was my husband for life and I meant that!"

"What was the point? You're in jail! You guys didn't even have a marriage!"

"Jail or not, we were still married and now I'm his widow!"

"We'll see about that."

"I also know that Stan has a life insurance policy. We made sure to get one when we got married. Since I'm his wife, I’m his primary beneficiary. That means that money will automatically go to me! I'm going to make sure it's divided up amongst MY children!" She smiles. "Your skinny ass won't see a dime of it!"

"You evil little bitch!" I start choking her. She smiles and laughs the entire time. "You hurt my dad enough while he was living! I'll be damned if I let you hurt him in death too!"

Grandma and grandpa pull me off of her. "Don't worry, we'll get this straightened out!" Grandma whispers to me.

"You're so disgusting!" I tell Wendy. "I told you how sick my dad was and all he wanted was to see his kids to tell them how much he loved them and you and your parents robbed him of that! You're completely evil!"

"I refuse to let my kids be traumatized anymore than they already have! Why would I want them to see Stan in his dying state? They would have nightmares!"

"I was by his side every single day and I'm not traumatized!"

"You're older than they are!"

"The twins are only 7 months younger than me! You did that just to be mean and spiteful! You wanted to hurt my dad and you succeeded! Ugh, I hate you!" I slap her again.

She laughs once again. "You know, handcuffs or not, there’s only going to be so many times I’m going to let you get away with putting your hands on me, little girl!” I roll my eyes at her. “Besides, I'd rather Stan be hurt than my children! I don't give a fuck about Stan and his dying wish! He can rot in hell along with it!"

I try to attack her again, only to be held back again. "If that's how you feel Wendy then leave!" Grandma tells her. "No one wants you here!"

"I came to say goodbye to my no good, lying, cheating, AIDS infected husband! That's what I intend to do!" She pushes past us and makes her way to the casket with her guard following her.

"Why can't we make her leave?" I whisper to my grandparents as I burst into tears.

"Don't worry, she won't be allowed to stay long." Grandpa tells me. "Once she leaves, you'll never have to see or hear from her again."

I watch Wendy's every move to make sure there's no funny business. I can see her lips moving, but I can't hear what she's saying she also has that stupid sadistic smile on her face!

Once she's done her guard escorts her to the door. She looks at me. "Oh and in case you were wondering. He has a $350,000 life insurance policy. You damn sure won't be seeing any of that!" She smiles.

"I'll make sure you don't either!"

"Good luck with that one!" She leaves. My grandparents and I take our seats and Priest Maxi continues with the ceremony.

Kenny's POV

After the funeral, I came back to Kevin's house to grab a few things. We haven't spoken since he hit me so I try to stay out of his way. Sometimes I stay with Cartman or I stay with Karen and Kyle. I try not to stay there too much because Karen lectures me about the situation with Kevin which I don't want to hear about.

I'm about to head out the door, when I open it and see Mr. Broflovski on the other side getting ready to ring the doorbell. "Mr. Broflovski, what are you doing here?"

"I came to bring this to you." He hands me an envelope.

"What's this?"

"It's a letter from Stan."

"Stan...?" I look at him and nod. "Thank you." He leaves and I close the door. I go to my room and close the door and open the envelope.

_Dear Kenny,_

_If you're reading this letter, that means I have transitioned into the afterlife. It also means that I never had a chance to tell you how truly sorry I am for everything I've put you through._

_We were once a happy couple who seemed like we were going to end up spending the rest of our lives together until I made the mistake of having an affair with her mom. I can't completely call it a mistake because it resulted in Abigail. But at the time, I never truly stopped to think how my actions have affected you or your life in general._

_I hated the fact that you moved on. I know I was a complete jerk to you and Mike. I was jealous of Mike and what the two of you had together. I did everything I could to break the two of you up and I was over the moon when I succeeded._

_I also regret keeping Abby away from you. I was pissed off that you tried to take my daughter from me, but I understand why you did. I was a mess back then and I didn't treat her the way she deserved. I kept Abby from you to make you suffer for trying to take her from me. What I didn't realize until later is that she's the one who really suffered._

_The one thing I regret more than anything was raping you. I know I tried to downplay or even deny what I did, but I'm no longer doing that! I now know exactly how I made you feel that day. When I was in jail, I was raped three times by different inmates. The first time it happened, I was sick to my stomach and had trouble eating and sleeping for months. It was that moment when I realized how I must have made you feel. I feel even worse knowing that has left you with permanent damage._

_I wish I had the chance to tell you how sorry I am for everything I've ever done to hurt you. There were so many times I wanted to call you and tell you. I really wish I hadn't been a coward and just did it. I know sorry will never take away from what I did or how I made you feel, but I truly hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me._

_I also hope and pray that you find the happiness and have the life you deserve. Just know that Butters is not that guy. If you haven't already, get away from that man and never look back. He's not the guy he once was when were kids. He's become a monster that hurts anyone he touches._

_Sincerely Yours,  
Stan_

_P.S. Please look out for Abby. She's going to need you now more than ever. Trust me._

I put the letter back in the envelope and begin to cry. For once, I feel like I got a real apology from him. I really wish he was still here so I could tell him that I forgive him.

Kyle's POV

I'm back home from the funeral. Karen and the girls aren't home right now, so I thought I would take this time to read the letter that my dad gave me from Stan.

_Dear Kyle,_

_If you're reading this, then that means that I've passed away. I'll keep this brief. I wanted to write this letter to tell you how sorry I am plus get a few things off my chest._

_I want to start off by saying that you were my first friend ever! We go back to long before we were in preschool. I love you like a brother. We've been through hell and back!_

_I know things completely changed between us when you found out that I raped Kenny. We were still somewhat cool with each other, or at least I thought so. Years later, you came to my house to confront about the permanent damage I did to Kenny. You also confronted me about my drinking and smoking._

_Instead of me being an adult and trying to have a mature conversation, I tried to physically attack you. You got the best of me so I bit you as hard as I could. I'm deeply sorry that things has gone that far between us._

_I know that I apologized to you before and you didn't want to hear it. I'm not mad at you for that. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I would've responded the same way. So I want you to know that I'm not holding a grudge towards you and I hope that one day, you'll forgive me for what I did and how our friendship ended._

_Love you always like a brother,  
Stan_

Damn, if I wasn't feeling guilty before, I sure do now. Why didn't I forgive Stan when he extended the olive branch? Why did I continue to hold a grudge? It wasn't even my fight it the first place. It was really between Stan and Kenny.

I break down in tears as I reread his letter. I'll never get a chance to make amends with him, but he'll always and forever remain my best friend.

Abby's POV

The funeral was very eventful with that bitch showing up, but other than that, the service was really nice. The sad thing is, my siblings didn't show up. Even in death, they don't get to say their goodbyes to daddy! His heart must be breaking in heaven.

I change my clothes and I grab a letter out of my purse that Mr. Broflovski gave me after the funeral. He said it was from my dad. I found that very weird, but I decided to go ahead and read it anyway.

_My Dear Sweet Abigail,_

_It's with a heavy heart that I say, if you're reading this letter, that means I've lost my battle to AIDS. I'm really sorry I had to leave you like that. I really didn't want to, but unfortunately you don't get much of a choice when you're going to go._

_I'm writing this letter to apologize for how I treated you as a child. I mistreated you, yelled at you, and caused some of your asthma attacks. I was very angry and stressed because of the direction my life was going and I took my frustrations out on you. I'm very sorry form the bottom of my heart._

_I also would like to thank you for everything you've done for me. You've made my last few years of live worth living, especially my final days. I don't know what I did to be blessed with such a beautiful, caring, smart, and loving daughter, but I will be eternally grateful for you! I love you more than words can describe!_

_There's something you need to know. I want you to know the truth about how I got AIDS. While I was in jail, instead of getting the flu shot, I was injected with the AIDS virus. I only recently learned this when Butters came to my hospital room. He told me he was behind the switch because he wanted to get revenge on me for what I did to Kenny._

I gasp when I read that. "Daddy, why didn't you tell me...?" I whisper as my eyes began to water. I continue reading.

_I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid. I was afraid that if Butters found out I told anyone that he would beat me up again or worse kill me. He nearly killed once so I wasn't trying to take the risk of him doing it again. I've never been afraid of anyone in my life, but I can admit to you that he scared the shit out of me! I’m sorry I kept that from you. I hope you find a way to use this information to bring him to justice!_

_Enough about that! I want you to keep doing what you’ve been doing. Never lose yourself! Know that I’ve always been proud of you and I’ll be looking down on you from heaven. Please continue to make your old man proud! I love you so much Abby and I’m going to miss you!_

_Love Always,  
Daddy_

_P.S. Try to keep in touch with your siblings. Please make sure they never forget me._

I start crying when I finish reading the letter. I can’t believe this! Butters is the reason my dad had AIDS? I knew that man was sick and twisted, but this is beyond anything I could imagine! This man makes Wendy look like a saint! There’s no way in hell I can let him get away with this! I have to find a way to prove it though. 

“Don’t worry Daddy, I’ll make sure Butters or Lee goes down for this! Your death will NOT be in vain!” I nod to myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny gets news about the surrogacy process. 
> 
> Abby tells Kenny about Stan’s letter to her.
> 
> Butters returns to South Park!


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kenny's POV

"Thank you very much!" I say as I hang up the phone. I just finished talking to a rep from my bank in Atlanta. Lee didn't take my name off the account, so I was able to call and give my information so I can access it. I asked to clear out that account so the money can be transferred to my new account here. There's $200,000 in there and I'm so grateful because I'll need a good chunk of that to pay my hospital bill and for the surrogacy procedure. Lee is going to be pissed off when he tries to access that account. I can't really think about that, it's my money anyway. It should be in my account within 24 hours.

I start looking at homes to buy. One piece of advice I will take from Kevin is moving back into my parent's old house is a bad idea. I want my child to grow up in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I'm planning to meet with a realtor this weekend.

I go downstairs and I see Kevin helping Kam with his homework. They look at me. "I just wanted to get something to drink." I tell them. "I'll be out of your way in a second." Kevin turns his head away and continues to focus on Kam's homework. Completely ignoring the fact that I was addressing both of them.

"You're not in the way Uncle Kenny." Kam tells me with a smile.

I shake my head. "Trust me, I am." I look at Kevin who still isn't acknowledging me.

Kam looks back and forth at the two of us. He puts down his pencil. "Okay, I'll tell you what! I'm going to go up to my room and let you two talk."

"No Kam, finish your homework." I tell him. "School comes first."

"How can I concentrate on my homework when there's so much tension between you and dad?"

"That's not an excuse..." I start to walk away, but he stops me.

"Nope, I'm not going to let this go on any longer. I love you guys too much to let this go on any longer." He grabs me and literally sits me down in the chair. "Now I'm going to leave you two alone. Neither one of you better get up until you guys make up!" He nods and leaves the room.

There's still the awkward silence between us. "Come on Kevin, this is stupid." I finally speak up after about 20 minutes of silence.

He rolls his eyes. "I don't have anything to say to you..."

"Look, I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I was way out of line and I deserved to be slugged by you."

He nods. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

I sigh. "I'm going the surrogacy route to have a baby. It would mean a lot to me if you would support my decision."

He rolls his eyes again. “So clearly you didn’t listen to a damn thing I said. Maybe I need to hit you again and knock some sense into you!” He shrugs. "You know what? Whatever dude, it's your life." He puts his hands up in defeat.

"I know, but it would be nice to have the support of my siblings. You guys know I've always wanted kids. You and Karen have it all, spouse and kids. I just want what you guys have. Why are you guys so against this?"

"I get that Kenny, but you're going about this the wrong way."

"How?"

"Think about it, for one, you said Karen and I have a spouse. That's usually how this work, spouse then baby. You don't have anyone so you'll be raising this child alone. No one wants to be a single parent. Those that you know that are, didn't chose that on purpose."

"I know, but I may never find someone to settle down with."

"That's fine too. But that still doesn't mean you need a baby. Besides, you have nieces and nephews so you have kids in your life."

"But they're not my kids. The bond is completely different, you know that."

"It doesn't have to be."

I shake my head. "You'll never see things from my prospective..." I start crying.

Kevin grunts. "I do, but I'm also trying to get you to see it from another prospective. You're only thinking about yourself and what you want. You haven't thought about what kind of life this kid is going to have! This is another reason why having a baby is a bad idea! You're too damn selfish!"

"AHEM!" We turn and see Kam and Abby standing there. "Abby's here." He informs us.

"Hey Abby." Kevin greets her.

"Hi, I came to see Kenny, but I can see I came at a bad time."

He shakes his head. "No, you're good. I need to finish helping Kam with his homework anyway." He looks at Kam. "Let's go upstairs Kam." They leave and Abby sits down next to me.

"Are you sure I didn't come at a bad time?" She asks me.

I wipe my eyes. "No you're fine."

"Did I hear you're having a baby?"

I nod. "I'm getting a surrogate to carry my kid."

She smiles. "Congratulations! I really hope it works out for you!"

"Thanks...I just wish Kevin and Karen would be as happy for me as you are."

"They'll come around..."

I shrug. "We'll see. So what brings you by?"

"I wanted to tell you about the letter I got from my dad."

"I got one too."

She raises her eyebrow. "Really? What did it say?"

"He just apologized for everything he did to hurt me. It was really sweet." I smile.

"He didn't tell you anything, did he?"

I shake my head. "No, like what?" Abby hands me a letter and I see Stan wrote that Lee is the one who gave him AIDS. My eyes widen. "That can't be real!"

"Why would he make it up?"

"How is this even possible?"

"I don't know how he managed to pull it off, but I don't think my dad made it up!"

"So what do you plan to do?"

She shrugs. "I need to somehow find a way to get a confession out of him. He needs to go down for this! This is murder! He killed my dad!"

"Abby, please calm down!"

She slams her hand down on the table. "How can I calm down? Your crazy boyfriend killed my dad!"

"He's not my boyfriend anymore..." I say softly.

"I can't tell by the way you're defending him! He did this to my dad for you!"

"I didn't have anything to do with this!"

"I didn't say you did! I'm just telling you the reason he did this to my dad! That's why I came to you! I want you to help me bring that asshole down!"

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise you anything. I'm trying to avoid him until he goes to court."

"He has a court date here in a few weeks. I'll make sure to let my lawyer know about this."

"It's hearsay, it will never hold up in court."

"So that means you're not going to help?"

"Like I said, I'll see what I can do."

She nods. "Okay, well let me know if you come up with something."

"I will."

About two weeks later, I receive a call from my PC at the surrogacy agency.

"Hi Kenny, it's Camille Rogers. How are you today?"

"I'm good, how are you?"

"Great thank you! I have some good news for you."

"Really?"

"Yes, we've found an egg donor that matched your requirements."

My eyes light up. "Awesome! That's great!"

"We even found a surrogate for you!"

I'm shocked by this. "Really? Even better!"

"Then you'll love this. She lives in South Park. She'll be in touch with soon. We'll get all the legal paper work taking care of and we'll begin the IVF process."

I swear I could start jumping up and down right now. "Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome! I'll be in touch."

I can't believe it! It's really finally happening! Reality will really set in once the surrogate is pregnant! I'm another step closer to parenthood! I'm in the process of trying to buy a home so I'm hoping I close on the house before the baby gets here.

I really want to tell my siblings what's going on, since the agency told me it's important to have a strong support system, but I'll wait until the surrogate is pregnant first before I say anything. They really don't support my decision so who knows, I may even wait until after the baby is here to tell them.

I'm so excited though that I really want to go out and celebrate! I grab my jacket and open the door. To my surprise, standing on the other side is...

"Kenny..." Lee...and he doesn't look happy at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Butters attacks Kenny.
> 
> Kenny is shocked to learn the identity of his surrogate.
> 
> Butters visits Wendy.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Kenny's POV

I try to close the door, but Lee stops it from closing all the way. He pushes the door back as hard as he can breaking it in the process.

"Dude...my brother is going to be pissed..." I whisper looking at the broken door.

Lee grabs me by the collar and pulls me closer to him. "I don't give a fuck about that! Where the fuck is my money?"

"It was my money..."

He slams me up against the wall. "No! It was OUR money! We had an agreement!"

"That's true, but that was when we were together. We're not together anymore!"

He slams me again. "You dirty son of a bitch!" He slaps me. "I want that money back NOW!"

I can feel my face stinging. "I'm not giving it you..."

He punches me in the face and I immediately feel blood dripping from my nose. My eyes start to water. "Either you give me my money or I'm going to beat it out of you!"

I have to stand strong. "No!"

He slams me into the wall again. "Do you think this is a fucking joke? Don't you know I'll fucking kill you! I don't play games when it comes to my money!"

"It's not your money..." I whimper.

"I had to come out here for court and tried to book a flight and my card declined! I called the bank and to my surprise found out you cleaned out the account a few weeks ago!" He knees me in the balls and I double over in pain. "I had to borrow money from my parents to get out here! Do you know how fucking embarrassing that was?" He punches me again.

"I'm sorry Lee!" I cry. "I needed the money."

He smacks me again. "This is why your stupid ass shouldn't have left me! You never had to want for shit when you were with me!"

"You kept my own money from me! I had to beg you to get new clothes."

"You got them didn't you?" He raises his hand.

I cower in fear. "Y-yes, b-but-"

He slaps me once again. "No buts! You got what you wanted so there shouldn't be a “but” after it!"

"I'm sorry Lee..." I duck before he can try to hit me again.

He starts laughing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you anymore, I'm in enough trouble as it is."

I exhale deeply and stand up. ‘Thank God’, I think to myself. "Is there something else you need?"

He grabs me by the collar again and pulls me closer to him. "You just make sure you find a way to pay me back every last cent you stole from me, or else!" He says in a deep dark tone.

I swallow. "Yes sir..." I say meekly. He pushes me up against the wall and turns to leave. "Lee, wait?"

He turns back around. "What?"

"I need to ask you...did you have Stan injected with an AIDS infected needle..." I ask nervously.

He looks shocked that I asked that. "WHAT?"

"I-I h-heard-" The next thing I know, Lee slams me up against the wall again before I can finish. He pulls a knife out of pocket and holds it up to my throat.

"You better not tell anyone else this shit!"

I shake my head. "I won't. I just wanted to see if it was true..."

"Well it's not! I didn’t have Stan injected with a needle! He got AIDS from being a WHORE and FUCKING anything that moves with his dirty diseased dick! How dare you even-" Before I know it, Lee is forcefully pulled away from me.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Kevin yells at him. "What the fuck are you doing at my house?"

"Your brother stole money from me and I want it back!"

"Go before I call the police! Don't you ever set foot on my property again!"

Lee glares at me. "You're going to pay for this! Just you wait!" He leaves.

Kevin examines his door. "He broke my fucking door!"

"Don't worry, I'll pay to get it fixed." I tell him.

"You're damn right you will!" We walk in and he "closes" the door. "Kenny, how soon are you moving?"

"I'm trying to buy a house. Are you rushing me out?"

He nods. "I hate to say it, but yes!" He points to the door. "Look at my door!” He points at me. “Look at your nose! I don't have time for your foolery anymore! I have a wife and three kids to think about! I don’t need this violence anywhere near my house!"

"I'm sorry Kevin! I didn't know Lee was going to show up here!"

"Once you saw him, why did you open the door?"

"I was heading out and I opened the door and he was there. I tried to close the door and that's when he broke it."

Kevin shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "Too much drama. You have two weeks!"

My jaw drops. "I don't know if I'll be able to close on a house in two weeks!"

"Two weeks..." He repeats just before going upstairs.

I sigh. This is just great. My brother is officially kicking me out. I guess I overstayed my welcome. I just can't believe it's come down to this. I guess I better get this process completed as quickly as possible.

Butters' POV

I'm at the jail paying Wendy a visit. When she comes out she looks pissed.

"Why the hell are you here?" She asks me.

"I needed to talk to you."

"Did anyone we know see you come here?"

I shake my head. "No, do you think I'm an idiot?"

She nods. “Yeah, actually I do!” I frown. “Again, why are you here?” 

“Kenny knows.” 

“How?” 

“I don’t know, but he asked me about it. I denied it though.” 

“So what’s the problem?” 

“I’m nervous that he’s even asking questions. Who knows who else he told this to! No one can find out what we did to Stan!” 

She chuckles. “We? I’m sitting in a jail cell, how can I do anything to Stan?” She smirks.

“Fuck that! If I go down for this shit! I’m taking your bitch ass down with me! This was your fucking idea!”

She shrugs. “You wanted Stan out of the picture permanently and I wanted to make him pay for filing for divorce. In the end we both won so what the hell is your problem?” 

“You said we wouldn’t get caught!” 

“There’s no way we should have! Unless you blabbed…” 

“Well…” I think for a minute. “I did brag to Stan about what we did.” 

Her eyes widen. “You did what?”

“He was in the hospital practically on his death bed. I didn’t think that pathetic loser would have the balls to tell anyone! I thought I put the fear of God in him.” 

She smacks her forehead. “Oh my God, you’re such a fucking moron! No wonder Kenny found out!”

“Well now what?”

“He can’t prove it, I really wouldn’t worry about it. Maybe after you go to court, you should leave the country and never come back.” She shrugs. 

“I can’t! That bastard Kenny took all my money.” 

“Looks like you’re fucked. You better hope that no one can prove it. I mean I’m serving two consecutive life sentences so there’s not much they can do to me, but you on the other hand…” 

“Damn it!” I pound on the glass. 

“Next time keep your mouth shut!” 

“I couldn’t help it! He had just come out of a coma and he was so weak and pathetic and crying like a little bitch that I had to rub it in!”

She laughs. “I wish I could’ve witnessed him deteriorate.” She shrugs. “Oh well, at least he’s dead and he couldn’t divorce me and now I have his money. My kids will be well taken care of! His bastard child with that old bitch will get nothing!” 

“Yeah and Kenny broke up with me and now Stan isn’t available for him to run back to! Now he’s going to be alone and miserable!” I smile.

“I have something else planned for him…”

I raise my eyebrow. “Really? Do tell!”

She shakes her head. “Yeah right, why would I tell your blabbing ass? Now you get the hell out of here and don’t come back! No one can ever see us talking to each other!” I nod and leave.

Kenny’s POV

I’m at the agency with Camille waiting for my surrogate to arrive. Camille assures me that she’ll be here within the next five minutes since she just spoke with her. Her phone rings. “Camille Rogers? I’ll be right there.” She hangs up and looks at me. “She’s here! I’ll be right back.” I nod as she leaves. 

It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’m going to meet the woman who’s willing to do the selfless act of carrying my unborn child for me. The door opens and I turn with a smile. 

“Kenny, meet Bebe Stevens, your surrogate.” 

My jaw drops as does hers. I stand up and instead of shaking her hand I hug her. “Bebe, thank you so, so much! You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.” 

“Thanks Kenny.” She replies nervously.

“You two know each other?” Camille asks.

We both nod. “We’ve known each other since elementary school.” I tell her. 

“That’s great! This should make the process easier for the two of you. I’ll leave you two alone to talk and decide what you want to do and I’ll come back with the attorney so all the legal documents can be signed.” 

“Thank you.” Bebe and I tell her before she leaves. 

“So…” I begin, “what made you decide to go the surrogacy route?” 

“I know so many, ahem, women, that have had trouble conceiving. After I had my son, I thought about those women and thought how wonderful it would be to give them what they want. It’s like I’m carrying someone’s dream.”

I nod. “This is really admirable. You’ve done this before?” 

She nods. “Just once. You’re the second.” 

“That’s great.” 

“Yeah.” 

“So um…how involved do you want me to be? I mean, I would like to be involved as much as possible, but at the same time I want to respect your privacy.” 

She laughs. “It’s your baby Kenny, you can be involved as much as you want.” 

“Thank you! I want to come to all the appointments, and I want to be there for the delivery.” 

“That’s fine.” She smiles. 

“Again Bebe, thank you so much for this!” I hug her again.

Bebe and I were never enemies per say, but we weren’t friends either. Who would’ve guessed that she would be the one to carry my baby? My baby is going to be put inside of her. I start to feel a little overwhelmed. I can’t believe how fast this is happening, but I’m really excited about it. One more step closer to becoming a daddy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny receives good news and bad news. 
> 
> Karen lets Kenny have it!


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Kenny's POV

It's been 8 weeks since I found out that Bebe was going to be my surrogate. They've tried the IVF procedure twice and it's failed both times. I'm starting to get discouraged and I'm ready to give up. I guess me being a dad just really wasn't meant to be.

Lee went to court due to Abby and Stan's parents pressing charges against him for assaulting Stan. Abby brought up him having Stan injected with the AIDS virus, so that's being investigated. Lee is currently serving six months in jail. Our court date is has been postponed until further notice.

I moved out of Kevin's house six weeks ago just like he wanted. I didn't buy a house yet, but I did find the perfect home. I'm just waiting to get approved for a loan. In the meantime, I'm staying with Karen and Kyle. Kyle has been great, but Karen has been giving me the same treatment Kevin has so I'm really trying to speed up this process.

My phone starts going off and I look and see that I have a text message from Bebe. She sent me a picture message. It's a picture of a pregnancy test with two pink lines. My eyes light up and I immediately call her.

"Hi Kenny." She answers. "I'm guessing you got my text."

"I sure did! Is it true? You're pregnant?"

"Yes! I went to the doctor to confirm it! I'm 5 weeks along!"

"That's great! Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Okay, well if you need anything at all, I mean anything, please don't hesitate to call me!"

"I won't. Thanks."

"When's the next appointment? I would like to be there."

"It's on the 8th at 3:00. I'll be 8 weeks then. We'll get the first sonogram."

"That's awesome! I can't wait!"

"Cool, we'll be in touch." We hang up.

I start crying tears of joy! I can't believe this! It's official, it's really official! I'm a dad to be! I never thought this would happen! I was so close to giving up and now it’s happening!

I go downstairs and see Kyle fixing a cup of coffee. "Hey Kyle!"

"What's up dude?"

"Is Karen around?"

He shakes his head. "No, she took the girls shopping. Is something wrong?"

I shake my head and smile. "I just got some really good news and I wanted to share it with you! Bebe's finally pregnant!"

"That's great." He says unenthusiastically.

My smile quickly fades. "You're not happy for me either, are you?"

"Kenny, if this is what you truly want, then I'm happy for you."

I smile and hug him. "Thank you so much Kyle! That means a lot to me." I start crying again.

He looks at me and frowns. "What's wrong? I thought you were happy?"

I wipe my eyes and nod. "I am happy! Tears of joy! I just never thought this would happen. I'm going to be a dad!"

He nods. "Yes you are..."

"Can you do me a favor? Don't tell Karen about this."

"Okay, but you do realize she's going to find out eventually anyway, right?"

"I know, but I'd rather wait until I move into my house first. Kevin and Karen don't agree with my choice so I'm not really in a hurry to tell them. The agency said I need to have a strong support system and I don't have that with them like I was hoping I would."

"I understand."

"Be honest with me Kyle, do you support my decision?"

"It's really none of my business..."

"Come on Kyle, you're family. Tell me what you think."

He sighs. "You're a grown man and capable of making your own decisions, however, do I see where Karen and Kevin are coming from."

"I see."

"They just want what's best for you Kenny, they're not against you to hurt you."

"Feels like they are."

"Then what you need to do is prove them you're a mature adult that's ready for parenthood. You can start by being honest with them about the new baby on the way. Hiding it makes you look very immature."

"Excuse me?" We turn and see Karen standing in the doorway.

"Oh shit..." I mumble.

Karen's POV

"Did I just hear you say something about a baby on the way?" I ask Kyle. I then glare at Kenny.

I notice Kyle glance over at Kenny. Kenny finally nods. "Yeah, you heard right. Bebe is finally pregnant!"

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Oh my God, you're such a stupid asshole!"

"Where are the girls?" Kyle asks me.

"I dropped them off at your parent's house. I'm glad I did!" I look at Kenny. "You're so stupid! That poor baby!"

Kenny looks down. "Karen..." Kyle gives me a warning look.

"Then you have Bebe of all people carrying your baby! That bitch is Wendy's best friend! She knew Wendy killed mom! She tried to help her frame Abby for murder! How the hell did that bitch become a surrogate in the first place?"

"She passed a criminal and psychological background check..." Kenny tells me.

"So now you’re on some sci fi shit and have a gestation assistant to carry your motherless child! That will be a great story to tell it one day!"

"Karen, I really wanted a baby..." I notice he's about to cry...go figure!

"Why? Oh wait, I forgot because you want what Kevin and I have!" I say in a mocking tone. "There's a difference, Kevin and I are married, we have a home for our children, and we're responsible adults! Can you say that? No you can't!"

"Things weren't perfect for you guys either! I helped Kevin and Missy with fertility treatments and I was there for you and convinced you not to abort Kam when you were 16. I've been there for you guys and all I ask is that you be there for me!"

I sigh. "Okay, I'm going to say something that might offend you, but it is what it is. Have you ever thought that maybe the reason you haven't had a baby is because of your lifestyle choice?"

"What?"

"The fact that you're gay is the reason why Kevin and I have the life you so desperately want. If you were into women, you could've been had what we have!"

Kyle's jaw drops. "Karen! Dude, that's messed up!" I shrug.

Kenny bursts into tears. "That's a cruel thing to say. There are plenty of gay couples that have kids."

"Couples! That's the key word!" I remind him. "You're a single man having a baby with a frozen mama! What kind of messed it situation is that to bring a child into?"

"You've never disrespected me for being gay before..."

"That's because I kept my feelings to myself! I never cared for your lifestyle choice. Between that and your immature behavior, you don't deserve to be a father! Get your shit together bro!"

Kenny's phone starts ringing. "I have to take this..." He wipes his eyes and walks out the room.

Kyle glares at me. "You were way out of line!"

"It needed to be said."

"No it didn't! You don't have to agree with his sexual orientation or how he brings a child into this world, but don't have the right to belittle him for it!"

"This is why he makes these stupid decisions! He has people like you supporting him instead of telling him he's making a mistake! Yes, he helped us out in tough times, but look at how he’s throwing it back in our faces!"

"He's an adult and has the right to make mistakes just like the rest of us. None of us have made perfect decisions, but we dealt with it, learned and moved on. You guys can't protect Kenny from everything. Let him fall for once, that's the only way he'll learn."

"But it's not just him, it's a baby involved now. When Kenny fails miserably it's going to fall on us and Kevin and Missy to take care of it! Is that fair to us? We have our own kids to take care of!"

"Maybe he won't fail..."

Kenny comes back in the room and it looks like he's still crying. "Is everything okay dude?" Kyle asks him.

He shakes his head. "I got rejected for a home loan..."

"Are you serious? Why?"

"My credit is fucked up. The house Lee and I have is in my name and he got behind on the mortgage. The bank is going to foreclose on the house." He starts balling again. "It's going to be awhile before I can buy a house!"

"Damn, I'm sorry dude."

He nods. “Thanks.” 

I laugh. “Further proving my point that you’re not ready to be a father! You have a house in YOUR name! How could you be so damn irresponsible and not make sure the mortgage was paid and on time?” 

“Lee handled the finances…” 

“As usual, you don’t take ANY responsibility for anything!” I shake my head. “Well don’t think you’re going to stay here long, we can’t afford another mouth to feed!”

He shakes his head. “I’m going to see if I can get an apartment. I’ll start moving my stuff out now…” 

“Kenny, you don’t have to do that. Find a spot first.” Kyle tells him. 

“No, I need to stop depending on other people. I need to find a place for me and my child. I’m going to go to a hotel until then.” 

“Good!” I tell him. “But that still doesn’t make you mature enough to raise a baby!” 

He shrugs. “I’m not going to argue with you Karen. Thank you for letting me stay here. I’ll get my things.” He walks off. 

“Kenny, wait!” Kyle calls out to him. 

“No, let him go. Like you said, let him fall. That’s exactly what we’re going to do!” 

“You were way too harsh. I think you’ve broken his spirit…” 

“I don’t care! Honestly, my only concern now is this baby. I really truly feel for it! I just hope Kenny doesn’t damage it too badly. I guess time will tell…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny moves into his new apartment. 
> 
> Kenny ends up in the hospital.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kenny's POV

A few weeks after Karen blew up at me, I finally found a two bedroom apartment. I'm just now moving in. I hired movers so I wouldn't have to rely on Kevin or Karen for help. They finished getting all my stuff in and now I'm unpacking.

There's a knock on my door. I answer it and it's Abby. "Hey Abster!"

"Hi! I almost thought I came to the wrong building."

"Nope, come on in." She comes inside and I close the door. "You're my first visitor!"

"I'm honored!" She smiles. She hands me a gift bag. "I got you a little something."

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that." I look and she got me a Crockpot. "Aww, thanks." I hug her.

"You're welcome! I thought maybe you could use that."

I put the Crockpot in the kitchen. "This will definitely make meal prep much easier." I chuckle.

"Yeah." She looks around at the boxes. "Do you need help unpacking?"

"Sure. Most of these boxes are going in the smaller bedroom."

She raises her eyebrow. "But this is your stuff..."

I nod. "I know. I'm going to turn the master bedroom into a nursery for the baby. I’ve already started ordering some things like the crib!"

"That's so sweet. Have you gone for your first appointment yet?"

I shake my head. "Its tomorrow. I can't wait! I'm going to see my baby for the first time!"

"I'm really happy for you Kenny! I know how much you want a baby."

"Thanks, I just wish...never mind."

"You want Kevin and Karen to be happy for you?"

I nod. "Yeah, but you know what? I don't care anymore. Kevin kicked me out of his house and Karen disrespected me in the worst possible way. I just don't see how we can get past that."

"Wait, what did Karen say to you?"

I explain to her how Karen thinks I'm not a parent because I'm gay and single and that makes me incapable of taking care of a baby.

Abby's jaw drops. "She said that?" I nod. "Oh my God, that's so cruel! So ignorant!"

"Yeah. I don't think I can ever forgive her for that."

"Don't say that! She's your sister."

"I know, and she's usually very blunt, but that was too much! She insulted me and my way of life!"

"What about Kevin? Do you think you'll forgive him?"

I nod. "I'm not really mad at him, just a little disappointed. I know we can get past it, I'm just giving him some space right now."

"Maybe I should talk to them..."

I shake my head. "Please don't. This is my problem. I have to be an adult and stop having my siblings fight my battles for me."

"I just hate that you're not speaking to them. You guys have always been so close."

"I'm sure we'll be close again, maybe not like we were before, but we will be close again."

"I still think you should let me talk to them, I could mediate the situation."

"Thanks Abby, but no thanks. So how are you holding up these days?" I ask her trying to change the subject.

"I'm okay, I still miss my dad very much. I visit his grave at least once a week." She lowers her head. "I keep having dreams about him and it feels like he's still here. We have conversations about things going on in my life and he tells me about his. He tells me how happy he is and stuff like that."

"That could be his way of communicating with you. He’s letting you know he’s happy and no longer suffering."

She nods. "Yeah..." I notice how sad she looks.

"Has Mr. Broflovski gotten any closer to proving what Lee did?"

She shakes her head. "I want to give up on that, but I owe to my dad to bring him down."

I nod. "As you should. I confronted him about it and he got really pissed and threatened to kill me for asking."

Her eyes widen. "Really? That's interesting. If he isn’t guilty, why did he get so angry?"

"Good point."

We talk some more about the case as we continue to unpack the boxes. I pick up a heavy and immediately feel a sharp pain in my lower stomach area and drop the box on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Abby asks me.

I nod. "Yeah, I just felt a little pain, but I'm okay." I pick the box up again and immediately feel the same pain. Once again, I drop the box.

"Maybe you should leave that box alone..."

I grab my stomach. "No, I need it..." The last thing I remember is Abby calling my name before everything goes black.

I wake up and realize I’m in a hospital bed. I look around and I see a nurse changing my IV. 

“Oh good, you’re awake.” She smiles. 

“What happened?” I ask groggily. “Why am I here?” 

“You passed out at home a few days ago. Your sister said you appeared to have stomach pain. You had some complications from your wound in your intestines. The doctor had to perform emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding.” 

I squint my eyes. “Did you say a few days ago?” 

She nods. “You’ve been out since.” 

I close my eyes, oh no! That means I missed the sonogram appointment. “Thank you nurse.”

“I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake so he can come in and check on you.” I nod as she leaves. 

There’s a knock on my door. I’m pretty sure it’s Abby. “Come in.” To my surprise it’s not Abby, it’s Bebe. “Hi. I’m surprised to see you here.” 

“You missed the first sonogram appointment. I heard you were in here and I thought you could use some cheering up.” She grabs something out of her purse and hands it to me. It’s the sonogram. 

“This is great, but all I see is a little dot.” 

She laughs. “That’s the baby silly…your baby! Your baby is 8 weeks!” She smiles. 

I look at the sonogram and smile. I can’t believe this! This is my baby! It’s real! It’s finally real…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kyle from work gives Kenny some devastating news. 
> 
> Kenny and Bebe grow closer.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Kenny's POV

"Thank you Doctor." I smile as he leaves.

The doctor just informed me that I'm going to be released tomorrow. Thank God! I've been in here for a week as it is. Once I'm home, I still have to take off a few more weeks to recover. I asked Jim if I could work remotely, but he said no and told me I had to use short term disability. That sucks, but it's better than nothing.

I now have to take medication daily for the rest of my life. It's to control the ulceration for the remains of my intestines. The doctor told me at this point, my insides will never heal and that I'm very lucky to still be alive. He even gave me a list of do's and don’ts to prevent further injury.

I send Kyle a text letting him know what's going on and I ask him if he'll be able to pick me up when I'm released tomorrow. I know I shouldn't call him, but I'm still not speaking to Karen and Kevin and Abby isn't old enough to drive.

"That's fine, I can do that." He replies. "I hope you know I'm going to let Karen know what's going on."

I cringe at the thought. "Okay." I put my phone away and decide to take a nap.

Later that evening there's a knock on my door. "Come in." It's Kyle from work.

"Hey Kenny."

My eyes light up. "Hi Kyle!" I swear I can feel the butterflies in my stomach.

He sits down in a chair beside my bed. "Dude, we've got to stop meeting like this!" He jokes.

I laugh. "Tell me about it. What are you doing here? I know you didn’t come all the way out here just to check on me."

“I had to come out here for a week long training session. All the managers are required to attend. I figured since I was in town, I would come see you since you weren’t at work.” 

“I see. Well thanks for visiting.”

"No problem. So what happened to you this time? It wasn't Lee was it?"

"Well...sort of. I had to have emergency surgery due to complications from the wounds in my intestines."

"Oh man, that's too bad."

"Yeah, but I'm finally going home tomorrow."

"Jim said you're planning to be off for another 2-3 weeks."

I nod. "If I can go back sooner, I will."

"Don't kill yourself trying to go back."

I smile. "I won't, but I need my full salary so I have to get back as soon as possible."

"I understand." He looks at me.

"Is something wrong?"

He nods. "Not only did I come here to visit you, I also came to give you a heads up about what's going down when you go back to work."

I swallow nervously. "Heads up about what?"

He sighs. "Jim wants me to put you on a 90 day probation."

I'm shocked by this. "What? Why?"

"Because you've taking extended time off. This is now the third time."

"I was on medical leave! I had major surgery, I couldn't work!"

"I tried to explain that to him without putting your personal business out there. Honestly, that saved your job. He wanted me to fire you."

My eyes widen. "Are you serious?" He nods. "Well thank you so much for saving my job. I need my job now more than ever. I have a baby on the way."

He raises his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

I nod. "Yes, I hired a surrogate to carry my kid."

"Oh wow, congratulations. I had no idea you wanted kids. You never mentioned it before."

"When I was with Lee, I knew he wasn't going to happen because he hates kids so I gave up on the idea. I've always dreamed of being a parent so now that I'm no longer with Lee, I can have my dream."

"That's good dude. You're willing to do this on your own?"

I nod. "Before you give me any lectures, I just want to say that I'm an adult and can handle this on my own. I've heard it all already."

He puts his hands up in defeat. "I wasn't going to lecture you, I think it's commendable that you're willing to raise a baby alone. A lot of dads try to run from their responsibility so I applaud you."

"Oh..." I smile as I wasn't expecting that response. "Thank you."

He laughs. "It's not my place to judge you or your actions."

"I appreciate that."

“Are you planning to take off when the baby is born? I honestly would advise against that considering what’s going on at work.” 

“I guess I can’t. I better start looking for a nanny or something.” 

He nods. “Yup! Good luck with that one!”

Bebe's POV

I’m at the doctor’s office waiting for my next check up. I’m now 12 weeks pregnant and sadly look like I’m six months. Kenny has been recuperating so I’m not sure if he’s going to make it today. That’s fine, I actually prefer to come alone. 

“Bebe Stevens?” A nurse calls. 

I stand up to walk back when I notice Kenny has arrived. He’s moving kind of slowly. “Sorry I’m late.” He tells me. 

I roll my eyes. “You’re just in time, I was just called back.” 

“Great.” We both head back with the nurse. 

Moments after I change into the gown, the doctor and Kenny come in the room. Kenny sits down in the chair while the doctor walks over to me. She asks me the basic question like how I’m feeling or do I have any concerns. 

“Okay great.” She tells me as everything is going well and I don’t have any concerns. “Go ahead and lie back, I’m going to listen to the baby’s heart beat.” I do what she asks. She puts the monitor on my stomach and we all hear the heart beat. “Your baby has a very strong heart beat.” 

“That’s great!” I tell her. I look over at Kenny and smile. I notice the humungous grin on his face. 

“Do we get to see the baby?” Kenny asks. 

The doctor shakes her head. “Not this time. When you come back next month for the 16 week check up you will, and hopefully, if you would like, we’ll find out the baby’s sex. That will be your last sonogram unless there’s an issue.” 

“Oh wow! I didn’t realize.” 

“On that note, I’ll see you next month. Don’t forget to schedule your next appointment on your way out.” She smiles.

“Thank you Dr. Chase.” I tell her just before she leaves. I look at Kenny. “I guess I’ll see you next month too.” I gesture for him to leave as I do need to change my clothes. 

“Do you have any plans?” 

“I’m going to pick up my son from Clyde’s, other than that no. Why?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner or something?” 

I give him a strange look. “I don’t know Kenny. I mean remember, this is business.” 

He nods his head. “I know that. But you’re doing something so nice for me, so I want to do something nice for you.” 

“Kenny, you’re paying me. That’s nice enough.” 

“Come on Bebe. I think we should sit down and chat. I mean, we don’t really know each other that well since we hung out with different people. I thought this way we could get to know each other.” 

“Kenny we didn’t even like each other!” I take a deep breath. “Sorry, pregnancy hormones.” I clear my throat. “What I meant to say is you and my best friend have always hated each other that’s why we don’t know each other that well.” 

“Let’s change that. We have to be a part of each other’s lives for the next 6 months.” 

I roll my eyes. “Okay, I’ll go!” Sheesh, I guess that’s the only way the shut him up! 

Later, we’re at Longhorn Steakhouse eating and chatting. I tried to convince this loser to get a drink, but he doesn’t drink. God, what a square! I know I definitely could use one to get rid of this awkward tension between us. 

“Is that all you’re going to eat?” I ask him as he only ordered a salad. 

He nods. “I don’t have much of an appetite these days.” 

“God, you’re making me feel like such a fat bitch!” I say as I finish my second appetizer. I ordered two appetizers plus salmon as my entrée. I plan to finish with dessert. 

He laughs. “You’re eating for two!” 

“You have a greedy child!” I tell him as I take another bite. “So why don’t you have much of an appetite? Is it because you’ve been sick? You’ve always been on the thin side, but these days you’re extra skinny.” 

He sighs. “I was in an abusive relationship with Butters while I was in Atlanta.” 

I chuckle. “Butters?” 

“Yeah, he goes by Lee now. You laugh, but you probably haven’t seen him in a long time. He’s really tall and very built. He’s a personal trainer and a body builder. He also takes steroids.” 

“Oh my!” I say oh my, but I already know the story. 

“He would yell at me and force me to do things for him or just yell to intimidate me…and it would work. I guess he got bored with that. I made the mistake of heating up leftovers for him and he beat me senseless. I ended up in the hospital with a ruptured spleen. I almost left him, but he apologized and promised to never hit me again and he would get help.” 

“You actually took him back?”

I nod. “Stupid, I know. Things were fine for a short while, but he started getting mean and aggressive with me. We came here for Karen’s 30th birthday and he attacked Stan and got arrested. I went back to Atlanta and when finally came home he beat me up again. This time he tore through my intestines. I came back for good and had to have emergency surgery, that’s why I was in the hospital last month because of internal bleeding from that. But ever since then, I’m only able to eat one meal a day…and it’s usually a really small meal.” 

My eyes widen. I knew about the abuse, but I had no idea things went this far. “Damn, you’re so lucky you’re alive!” 

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.” 

“I notice you move really slow…not to be mean or anything.” 

He shakes his head. “No, its okay. I do move slower now. I try to pace myself because I don’t have a lot of energy these days. I’ve been trying to act like I’m not missing a spleen or have torn intestines, but that’s what landed me back in the hospital. I’m trying to take it easy, but not too easy, before the baby comes.” 

“Kenny…I’m not trying to get in your business, but are you sure you’re going to be able to handle a baby by yourself in your condition?”

He nods. “Definitely. I’m a lot stronger than you think. I can handle it.” 

“You said you don’t have a lot of energy and babies take away a lot of your energy. You may need help.” 

He shrugs. “I’m planning to hire a nanny. I won’t be able to take off like I thought I would, so the nanny will help if I get too tired.” 

“That’s good…” Man, I don’t even like Kenny, and now suddenly I feel sorry for him. He’s so desperate for a baby that he’s willing to put his own health at risk? I don’t get it. I’ve never seen a man so desperate. A part of me feels like I need to stick with my original plan for this baby’s sake, but at the same time, it would be very cruel of me to go through with it…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny and Bebe learn the sex of the baby.
> 
> Bebe’s plan is revealed.
> 
> Kenny ends up back in the hospital.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Kenny's POV

The big day is finally here! I'm going to find out the sex of the baby! I'm so glad that Bebe was able to schedule a late afternoon appointment so I didn't have to miss any time at work, but at the same time, I'm so anxious and excited that I haven't been able to focus on work!

I notice I just got an IM from Kyle. _"I haven't received your spreadsheet yet."_

_"Sorry, I'm working on it now."_

_"Well hurry, I have a meeting in an hour and I need that spreadsheet."_

_"No problem, boss man!"_

_"Chill with the boss man stuff, LOL!"_

That was a close one. Man, I guess I better focus on what's important. I'm already on thin ice as it is.

That afternoon, I'm pacing back and forth in the room while Bebe and I are waiting for Dr. Chase. It feels like it's been two hours since she was called back.

"Sit down Kenny. Pacing isn't going to make her show up any sooner." Bebe tells me.

"I know. I'm just so excited! I can't believe I'm going to find out what I'm having!"

"I know you're excited, but calm down! It's going to happen."

"What if the baby doesn't cooperate? I mean, it could be in a position where the doctor can't tell what it is."

She rolls her eyes. "Then you'll have to wait until it's born! Geez!"

"I wonder if I'll be able to tell if the baby looks like me..."

"Kenny! Sit the fuck down and shut the hell up!" Bebe snaps. "You're making too big a deal out of this and it's not that damn serious!"

I sit down. "Sorry, you just don't know how long I've waited for this..."

She sighs. "No, I'm sorry. I swear I'm usually not this bitchy!"

I nod. "It's okay. I didn't mean to annoy you. I'm just-"

"I know, really excited." She interrupts.

"Yeah, but I'll tone it down."

"Thank you."

We sit in awkward silence for a few moments before Dr. Chase enters the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She tells us.

"No problem, we've been waiting patiently." She glares at me. "Right Kenny?"

I nod. "Yes..."

Dr. Chase moves forward with the exam. She checks the baby's heart and measures Bebe's stomach. She also checks Bebe's blood pressure.

"Would you like to know the sex?" She asks.

"Yes! Yes!" I jump up with excitement.

"Kenny!" Bebe looks at Dr. Chase. "I'm so sorry for his behavior."

She smiles. "Don't be, I wish more fathers showed that enthusiasm." She puts gel on Bebe's stomach and begins to perform the sonogram. "Congratulations, it's a girl!" She points to the screen.

"I'm having a girl?" My eyes begin to water. "I can't believe I'm going to have a daughter..."

"I can do a 3D sonogram so you can see her in more detail."

I'm just amazed by the details in the 3D sonogram! I practically have a clear view of what my daughter looks like. She's going to be so beautiful.

"I'll put these photos on a CD for you guys." Dr. Chase informs us.

"Thank you." Bebe and I tell her. Dr. Chase steps out the room.

"I still can't believe I'm going to have a daughter." I say through tears. "That little girl is going to have me wrapped around her little finger."

"That won't be hard..." I hear Bebe mumble.

"This is great! Now I can start buying clothes! I can't wait to get cute little pink outfits! I can even decorate the nursery. I wonder if I should a theme! Maybe a pink princess theme or something!"

She rolls her eyes and laughs. "Oh my God, you're so lame!"

"I guess it is a little lame, but I don't care. It's my first baby. Weren't you excited when you were pregnant with your son?"

"Of course because I knew he was MINE, I don't share your excitement about this baby because I have no connection to her whatsoever."

"I know that, but don't you at least understand my excitement?"

"Yeah I guess..."

I shrug. She doesn't have to understand it. This is something that I've always wanted and now it's finally happening. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Bebe's POV

"I don't think I can go through with this." I tell Wendy during my visit with her.

"You promised you wouldn't bitch out on this plan!" She says through gritted teeth.

"I know, but I just can't do it. I could possible kill this baby if I take drugs or drink."

"So fucking what? Kenny has to suffer!"

"But this is cruel. Plus I don't do drugs!"

She sighs. "Fine, so then you're willing to go with plan B?"

"What? Keeping the baby?"

She nods. "Yes. Kenny would be crushed if you took that baby and let's say, left the country!" She smiles.

I shake my head. "I can't do that either..."

"Why not?"

"Because its cruel. He's spending a $100k to make his dream of becoming a parent come true. I've never seen a guy so over the moon excited about having a baby."

"All the more reason why you need to do this! That little shit doesn't deserve an ounce of happiness!"

"He's been through a lot in his life, I think he deserves it."

"You even said he's in no condition to raise this baby. You said he has health issues. Do you really want to leave the child you gave birth to with him knowing his condition?"

I sigh. "I don't, but do you realize how much trouble I will be in if I do this? I'm under a legal contract and I could get sued and possibly face jail time."

"All the more reason why you should leave the country. They can't do anything to you then."

"Yes and let me take my son out of the country and never return and then I'll also have Clyde to deal with."

"Girl, bye! You've wanted to get your son away from Clyde anyway."

She has a point, but I sigh once again. "I don't know Wendy. I'm just too nice to be that mean to a person."

"But you don't even like Kenny!"

"I've been thinking about that, I don't think I ever really had an issue with Kenny. You did!"

"We're best friends. If I don't like someone, you don't either!"

"That's petty..."

"Well then call me Petty LaBelle!"

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I just can't do this."

She smiles and shrugs. "Okay Bebe, if you can't do it, you can't do it."

"Okay?" I asked confused. "You're not mad?"

She shakes her head. "Of course not." She continues to smile.

“Aren’t you tired of plotting and scheming on people? You’re already responsible for three people’s deaths.”

She shrugs. “I’m here until I die, it’s not like I have anything better to do.” She thinks for a minute. “But you’re right. Maybe it’s getting old plotting and scheming…”

I know that look. "What are you up to?" I ask as I raise my eyebrow.

She shakes her head. "I'm not up to anything. Sheesh, you're always so suspicious!"

"I wonder why Wendy!"

"Well you don't have to be! For once I'm not up to anything. You're not going to take this baby from Kenny so I have to accept that."

"That's good to hear..." I say that, but I'm so not buying her sudden change of heart. She's up to something, but I'm not sure what. I just know that Kenny better watch his back.

Kenny's POV

I'm at work and I'm feeling like shit. I woke up feeling like I'm coming down with something, I can especially feel it in my chest and throat. I’ve also developed a really bad cough. Since I'm on probation, the last thing I could do is take off work.

I'm currently in a managers and team lead's meeting. I can barely keep my eyes open. I end up making the mistake of coughing during the meeting. I look at my hand and notice that I’m coughing up blood.

"Kenny!" Jim yells my name.

"Yes sir?"

"Are you paying attention?"

I nod. "Yes sir."

"What did I just say?"

"Umm...you said that..." I don't even know what I just said, but I know it was jumbled and incoherent based on the giggles from my colleagues and the look on Jim's face. His face is devil red.

"You're dismissed from this meeting. I'm going to have a chat with you later!"

"Jim, I'm sorry. I'm just not-"

"Goodbye Kenny." He says dismissively. I grab my notepad and leave. As I walk back to my desk, I begin to feel short of breath. That's the last thing I remember...

I wake up and immediately discover I'm in the hospital again. Oh no! What's going on this time? Just then, the nurse comes in my room. "Nurse, why am I here?"

"You have pneumonia."

I sigh. "Again?"

She nods. "You're missing your spleen hon, you have a greater risk of catching pneumonia."

"How long was I out?"

"I'm not sure. One of your coworkers found you passed out at work and called an ambulance. You've been here for a few hours."

"Oh good, it's only been a few hours." I was worried I've been here for days. "Will I be released tonight?"

She shakes her head. "Not a chance. You'll probably be here at least two days." She tells me as she checks my IV and my blood pressure. "Your blood pressure dropped so we have to keep you here for monitoring. Sorry." She leaves.

I sigh and reach for my phone to send out text messages. I send one to Abby, Kyle from work, and the other Kyle to let them know what's going on. My number one concern is, will I still have my job when I leave here...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Kenny has a meeting with Jim and Kyle.
> 
> Kyle tries to convince Karen and Kevin to talk to Kenny.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Kyle's POV

Karen and I decided to have Kevin and his family over for dinner. After dinner, Karen put Kristen down for the night, Kam decided to go watch TV in the living room while the other kids are in Kyla's room playing. The adults are sitting at the table talking and catching up.

"So," I begin, "when are you two going to reach out to your brother?" I ask Karen and Kevin.

Karen rolls her eyes. "NEVER!"

"I do miss him." Kevin states. "But he needs this time away from us to get his shit together."

"It's been a few months now, don't you think you guys should let this go and move on?" I ask.

"I don't have shit to say to him!" Karen says as she folds her arms.

"You could start with I'm sorry. You were unbelievably cruel to him!"

"He needed to hear that!"

"You didn't need to tell him that being gay is the reason he doesn't need a baby. His sexuality doesn't have a damn thing to do with it!"

"Kyle's right Karen, you were completely out of line!" Kevin adds in.

"I'm not apologizing to him! He should be apologizing to us for refusing to act like an adult! He's almost 34 and he acts like a four year old!" Karen states.

"I'm glad you mentioned that. His birthday is coming up, you mean to tell me you guys aren't even going to call him and wish him a Happy Birthday?"

"I had no intention of doing so!"

I look at Kevin and he shrugs. "I thought about it, but he's being such a dick that I really don't want to. Besides, if I call him, then it looks like I'm the one giving in and then he still doesn't learn shit!"

I shake my head. "You guys are angry because you think Kenny is immature, but if you ask me, you're being just as immature as he is by refusing to talk to him!"

"We're not being immature!" Karen snorts. "We're just tired of his shit!"

"He's still your brother and he misses you guys. Plus I would be hurt if I didn't hear from my brother on my birthday."

"If he misses us so much, why can't he reach out to us?"

"Because you hurt him Karen! He doesn't know how to approach you guys anymore."

"Tell me how that is our problem?"

I sigh. "If there's anything I learned from Stan, it's to not hold a grudge. He tried to apologize to me and I shut him out. Now he's dead and I'll never get the chance to tell him I forgive him."

"You're really comparing the situations?"

I nod. "Yes, but it's a little different for you guys because Kenny is your brother. If something were to happen to him, wouldn't you feel guilty that you never had a chance to make peace?"

"No..."

"Karen!" Kevin steps in. "You're right Kyle, we probably should. I will reach out to Kenny when I'm ready."

I raise my hands in defeat. "I respect that." I still think he's being a little stubborn, but at least he's willing to reach out to him. He’s the older brother, so he should be the bigger person. Now all I need to do is convince my wife to do the same...

Kenny's POV

It’s my first day back since I was hospitalized for pneumonia. I was in the hospital for a month. I nearly died twice while I was in there. I really didn't understand how I got so sick. I've been taking my medications every day and I've kept up with my vaccinations. But I guess without a spleen and torn intestines, I'm going to get sick no matter what I do to prevent it.

I'm heading to a meeting with Jim and Kyle. I was supposed to have this meeting awhile ago, but since I was in the hospital, it was postponed to my first day back in the office.

I go to the conference room and to my surprise both Jim and Kyle are there! I thought Kyle would be there via teleconference. Oh my, I have those feelings of butterflies in my stomach again. I'm going to try my best to avoid eye contact with him.

"Have a seat Kenny." Jim tells me coldy.

"Yes sir." I nod just before I sit down.

"I called this meeting because not only do I have concerns about your extended absences, I'm also concerned about your work performance."

I swallow. "What about it sir?"

"You were always a great employee I wouldn't have promoted you twice here or promoted you to work out in our Atlanta office when it opened. You then stepped down from your position and I was more than generous in keeping your salary. You decided to move back here and Kyle convinced me to let you keep your position and just work here and still managed the same salary."

I nod. "I'm very grateful to you sir."

"I'm not finished..." He narrows his eyes at me.

"Sorry..."

"You've missed a total of 92 days within the last 6 months. That includes your last absence. I've had Kyle put you on probation and you still missed a month of work! We even gave you a lighter work load to make your transition back to work easier for you. Still keeping your same salary mind you!"

I nod. "I'm very grateful for everything you've done sir."

He looks at Kyle. "Do you want to continue?"

He nods and looks at me. "What we decided to do Ken, is bump you down from the lead position. I need my lead to be more reliable and to be able to take on the tasks as needed. You will now just be a Server Technician."

I nod again. "Thank you."

"You're also getting a $35k pay decrease. It's only fair."

My eyes widen. "A 35k decrease? But, I have a baby on the way..."

“It doesn’t have to end at a decrease, you know…” Jim informs me. 

I nod and bite my bottom lip. “Yes sir…” 

Kyle hands me a document. “This is a copy of your position and salary decrease. Please read and sign it. This is effective immediately.” 

I look over the document and sure enough, everything we just discussed is in it. I go ahead and sign it and give it back to Kyle. 

“Thank you. I’ll make a copy and bring it to your cubicle.” 

“Thanks…” I say quietly. 

“Kenny,” I look at Jim, “consider this your final warning.” 

“Yes sir.” I walk back to my cubicle. Of all times for this to happen, why now? My daughter will be here in four months. A tear drops from my eyes and I quickly wipe it away. The last thing I want to do is cry at work. 

“Hey Ken.” I turn and see Kyle at my cubicle.

“Hey…” I turn my head away as I feel the butterflies again.

“Here’s your copy as promised.” He hands me the document.

“Thanks.” 

“I’m sorry I had to do that. I know you have that baby girl on the way and you need your salary. Honestly, Jim wanted me to fire you so this was the only way I could convince him to keep you.” 

“I appreciate it.” 

“No problem. Hey, I’m in town for another day. Do you maybe want to go out and get a few drinks after work?” 

I want to say yes, but there’s no way I can spend time with Kyle outside of work without it becoming awkward. “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t drink.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to drink.” 

“I’d rather not.” 

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” 

I shake my head. “Not at all, you were just doing your job.”

“Good, I’m glad there are no hard feelings. Maybe next time.” He walks away. 

I’m glad I dodged that bullet. The last thing I need to be out spending unnecessary money especially since they just cut my pay. Any extra money I have no will go to the baby. I don’t have time or the money for anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Bebe surprises Kenny. 
> 
> Abby asks Karen and Missy to help plan a baby shower for Kenny.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Kenny's POV

I've been really depressed ever since I got demoted. Seeing my new paycheck makes me feel even worse. The only thing keeping my spirits up these days is knowing that I have a daughter on the way.

Jim comes to my cubicle and dumps a huge stack of papers on my desk. "This is a bill from office supplies that have been ordered. I need you take inventory to make sure all these supplies came in."

This isn't even my job, but I comply anyway. "Yes sir."

"I want it done by noon!" He barks.

"Yes sir." I get up and head to the supply closet. I begin taking inventory of our office supplies. About 15 minutes later, Jim comes to the supply closet.

"Kenny! I have three computers that need to be moved to the 4th floor! Right now!" He barks.

"What about the inventory?" I ask meekly.

He glares at me. "Did you not hear me say that those computers need to be moved NOW? That meant now this second!" He claps at me. "Let's go! Move it! Chop, chop!"

I nod. "Yes sir..."

Once I finish moving the computers, I sit at my desk just to give myself a break for a minute. Lifting those computers really wore me out. I’m feeling that in my back. Plus I'm feeling a little pain in my stomach, I hope it’s not my intestines.

"Kenny!" I jump up when I see Jim standing over my cubicle. "Didn't I tell you to give me that inventory list by noon?"

I nod. "Yes sir, but you asked me to move those computers first..." I remind him.

"The computers have been moved right?"

"Yes sir."

"Then get off your ass and go work on that inventory list! NOW! Kyle’s not here to save your sorry ass, remember that!"

"Yes sir." I get up and head back to the supply cabinet. A coworker of mine, Christine comes in the supply cabinet.

"Hey Kenny." She greets.

"Hi."

"Listen, I've been watching how Jim's been treating you for the last month."

I wave it off. "Oh, it's no big deal." I chuckle nervously.

"It is a big deal. He's treating you like his slave! This isn't even part of your job description!"

"I know, but I'm just trying to keep him happy and off my case."

"No, you're letting him walk all over you! Stand up for yourself!"

"It's not worth it Christine. I don't want to lose my job."

"The only thing you’re losing is your dignity...if you have any left." She walks off. She has a point, but if she only knew how badly I'm under the radar she would know I can't afford to not do what Jim tells me when he tells me. This is going to be a long ass day.

I just left work for the day and I decided to stop by Abby's job to pay her a visit and to get something small to eat. I didn't get a chance to eat lunch because Jim stayed on my case all day. The hostess seats me and tells me Abby will be with me in a minute.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Abby runs up to me and gives me a hug.

"Thanks..." I say softly.

"What's wrong? It's your birthday, you should be happy!"

"It’s been a long day..." I decide to spare her the details.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I got you a good present.” She hands me a gift bag. "Well it's actually for the baby!"

I look inside and see a few baby outfits. She even got a onesie that says "Daddy's Little Princess". I smile. "Thanks Abby." I give her a hug.

"You're welcome. Anything for you and my new little niece. I can't wait until she's here so I can spoil her rotten!"

I smile. "That's sweet of you."

"So, have you heard from Kevin and Karen?" I shake my head. "Seriously? It's your birthday!"

I shrug. "The day isn't over yet. Maybe they'll call me later."

She nods slowly, I don't think she believes that anymore than I do. "Did Kyle call you?"

I nod. "Yeah he did..."

"Then there's no reason why they couldn't call you."

"Kyle isn't mad at me..."

"Still, it's your birthday!"

I shrug. "It's okay, really." She gives up after that. She decides to go her break and she joins me for dinner. It's nice that something went right on this crappy day.

After dinner, I head back to my apartment. I turn on the lights and see a bunch of balloons and streamers.

"SURPRISE! Happy Birthday!" Bebe jumps out from behind the balloons with a cake.

"Wow...thanks Bebe. But, how did you get in here?"

"I told the concierge I was your baby mama and that I wanted to surprise you for your birthday and he let me in." Her smile quickly fades. "You're not mad, are you?"

I shake my head. "Not at all! Thank you so much!" I give her a hug and start to cry. "This was really nice of you."

"So why are you crying?"

I wipe my eyes. "I've had a rough day at work and I'm a little sad that I haven't heard from Kevin and Karen." I shake my head. "Sorry to spoil the mood."

"You didn't. But let's not think about that. How about some cake? It's chocolate, your favorite!"

"How did you know?"

She grins. "I have my sources. Now let's cut that cake! Remember I'm eating for two!"

I laugh and get a knife and cut the cake. We eat and chat for a bit. Who would've guessed that Bebe would do something nice like this for me? I'm actually enjoying this. We started off not really being friends, but now with this whole surrogacy, we’ve really become close friends. It’s actually nice to have a friend.

Abby's POV

I decide to pay Karen a visit to ask her a favor. I ring the doorbell and she answers.

"Hi Abigail." She slurs. "What brings you by?"

"There's something I want to ask you."

"Sure, come on in." I walk inside and she leads me to the kitchen. Missy is in there and it appears they're drinking wine.

"Hi Abby!" Missy greets.

"Hi! I'm glad you're here, I can ask you this too."

"What is it?"

"I want to plan a baby shower for Kenny and I was wondering if you two would help me?"

"Of course!"

"No fucking way!" Karen snorts.

“Why not?” I ask her. “It’s his first baby and we should do something to celebrate it.” 

“A baby shower is to shower the mother to be with gifts…no mother, no baby shower!” 

“Don’t be like that.” 

“I don’t even agree with him having a baby so I’m not going to fake and help plan a baby shower!” 

“Karen, that’s your brother…” Missy adds in.

“I don’t give a fuck! I’m not fucking with Kenny right now so I don’t want anything to do with him or this baby! I take that back, I’ll probably be involved in that baby’s life, but only because Kenny is an immature, irresponsible little faggot who won’t be able to properly care for it!” 

I’m taken aback by her using the “F” word. “Wow…I can’t believe you would say this about your own brother!” 

She shrugs. “Well that’s what he is. I’m not helping you plan a baby shower. If you want Kenny to have a shower, then you plan it your damn self!”

“Karen, he’s been so unhappy lately. Even more so now because you and Kevin didn’t call him on his birthday. Don’t you think this would be a nice gesture?”

“No I don’t! Fuck Kenny! Now run along little girl, the grownups are talking!” 

“You know Karen, I thought that Kenny was the real issue between you guys, but now I see it’s YOU! You’re impossible!” 

“I don’t care! I don’t see why you do either! He abandoned you for 8 years!” 

I shake my head. “No he didn’t. I’m not even going to get into this with you.” 

“You better not! Respect your elders little girl!” She points to the door. “Now get the hell out of my house! Don’t even think about asking my husband to help you!” 

“I’ll still help if you want it…” Missy adds. 

“Thanks Missy, we’ll be in touch.” I glare at Karen before leaving. I guess it’s up to me to plan something for Kenny. He’s seemed so unhappy lately and I want him to be happy and stress free when the baby arrives. I’m going to plan him the best baby shower ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny is forced to make a difficult decision. 
> 
> Butters is released from jail!


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Kenny's POV

It's another one of those long days at work. Jim is still working me like a dog. I've even came to work for about a week with a fever of 105 and still worked my ass off. Jim clearly doesn’t care about what shape I’m in just as long as I do what he says, when he says it.

I hear my computer ding, and I look and see it's an IM from Kyle. _"What's up Ken?"_

_"Hi Kyle."_

_"How's everything going?"_

_"It's fine."_

_"How's Jim treating you?"_

_That was very odd and random for him to ask that. "Fine."_ I lie.

_"Are you sure? I'm hearing rumors that he's been mistreating you."_

_"I'm sure."_ I lie again.

_"If he is, please don't be afraid to tell me. I have to make sure all my employees aren't working in a hostile environment."_

_"Thanks, I'll let you."_

_"Great."_

That afternoon, Bebe has her 28 week checkup. Dr. Chase is listening to the baby's heartbeat."Your baby has a very strong heartbeat." She smiles. She then measures Bebe's stomach. "You're measuring at 28 weeks so that's good!"

"Great!" I tell her.

"So now that you're in your third trimester, you're going to have to come in every two weeks until you're 36 weeks, then the appointments are weekly until you give birth." She informs us.

"Sounds good!" Bebe smiles. She looks at me. "It's getting closer. Are you ready?"

I nod. "I'm more than ready! You have no idea how long I've waited for this!"

She laughs. "Just wait until reality kicks in..."

Butters' POV

Man, six months sure does drag when you're in jail. I'm glad to be out, but I know there's a good chance that I'm going back at some point because of Kenny's bitch ass!

Before I left, Wendy gave me a heads up letting me know that Kenny now has his own apartment. I swear that girl knows more about what’s going on in the outside world than the outsiders do! She gave me Kenny’s address so I'm headed there now to pay him a visit. I'm going to give him once last chance to drop these stupid domestic abuse charges so I can move on with my life and avoid more jail time!

Once I arrive at Kenny's place, I knock on the door. It sounds like I hear voices so at least I know he's home.

"Oh shit, it's Lee!" I hear Kenny whisper.

"Don't answer it!" I hear a female voice whisper in response. It's probably that bitch Bebe.

Since he decides not to open the door on his own, I open it for him. I kick the door three times knocking it off the hinges. He put the chain lock on the door so I give it another good kick and the door falls completely over. I glare at Kenny who's standing in front of Bebe, it's almost as if he's trying to protect her.

"What do you want?" He asks barely above a whisper.

"I just got out of jail, thanks to your bitch of a sister! I came here to make sure you don't try to send me back to jail!"

"Lee...I have permanent damage to a major organ because of you. I'll be taking medication for the rest of my life because of your abuse."

"I can make that life shorter if you don't do what I ask..." I start walking towards him. He and Bebe slowly back up, and he stays in front of her with his hands up the entire time.

"Just leave...please." He says softly.

I stare him up and down and start laughing. "What's going on between you two anyway? Why are you trying to protect her?"

"I'm pregnant." Bebe frowns.

"That's cute, Clyde knocked you up again? When is he finally going to put a fucking ring on it?"

"It's my baby!" Kenny steps in.

"Yours?" I point at the two of them. "You two are fucking now! Wow Bebe, you really are a whore!"

"I'm his surrogate!" Bebe tells me.

I smile. "Now that changes everything..." I continue moving closer to them as they continue to back up.

"What are you going to do?" Kenny asks.

I grab Kenny and throw him to the ground and stand in front of Bebe. I look down at her and smirk. She looks at me and I can the fear in her eyes and she instinctively puts her hands on her stomach. 

“Leave me alone…” She says with her voice quivering. 

I run my fingers through her curls as she tenses up. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” I look at her stomach then back at her. “That baby however…” 

She backs up some more. “You don’t want to do this…whatever it is you’re planning to do!” 

I look around to see if I can find an object lying around. “Well what I’m planning I damn sure can’t do here. I guess I’m going to have to take you with me!” I grab her wrist and squeeze it as tight as I can.

“OW! Butters you’re hurting me!” 

“Shut up!” 

“Get off of her!” Kenny makes a weak pathetic attempt to pull me off of her. I find his attempt laughable. “Leave her alone, your beef is with me, not her!” 

“I’m not going to hurt her.” I let go of Bebe and turn my attention towards Kenny. “I’m just going to cut that baby out of her! It’s not like you need or deserve a baby!” 

“I’m not going to let you hurt my daughter either!” He tries to shove me. I grab him by his throat and body slam him. I punch him repeatedly. Kenny tries to fight me off, but all it’s doing is further pissing me off. 

“You think you’re tough now?” 

“I’m not going to let you hurt my baby or Bebe!” I start seeing the tears falling from his eyes.

I start laughing. “You’re so pathetic! I’m going to go ahead and put you out of your misery!” I start choking Kenny. His eyes begin bulging out and his face starts turning blue as he begins to gasp for air. “That baby deserves to have a father that can take care of her. Clearly that man isn’t you.” 

“Leave him alone!” Before I can turn around, I’m hit in the back of the head with a hard object. I release my grip from Kenny. I turn and look at Bebe and see her with a skillet in her hand. 

“I’m not going to let you hurt Kenny…” She slowly backs up. 

I snatch the skillet out of her hand and hold it up like I’m going to hit her. She puts her hands up. I lower the skillet and start laughing. “You stupid little bitch! Did you really think this would hurt me? Do you know who I am?” I throw the skillet down and this time I grab both of her wrists and pull her closer to me. “You’re going to pay for your pathetic attempt to hurt me!” Once again, I see the fear in her eyes. I then slam her up against the wall. I let go of her wrists and she doubles over in pain. 

“Ow! My baby…” She cries out. 

“Your baby huh?” I smirk. I look over at Kenny who’s sitting up trying to catch his pathetic breath. “You hear that Kenny, it’s her baby!” 

Bebe attempts to stand up. “I need to get to a hospital!” 

“No bitch, you’re not going anywhere!” I grab her and slam her head into the wall. This time, she appears to have passed out. 

Kenny slowly makes his way over to her. “Bebe?” He shakes her. “Bebe? Please wake up!” He looks at me then back at Bebe. “Hang on Bebe, I’m going to call for help.” 

I grab Kenny by his hair. “If you mention what I did to anyone, you’ll be joining her.” I release my grip and leave.

Kenny’s POV

I’m so glad I called the ambulance when I did. Bebe nearly died, luckily they got to her in time. However, she is in a coma. I’m in the waiting room waiting to hear the status on Bebe and the baby. While waiting, I did call the police and regardless of Lee’s threat, I told the police everything. Two lives are on the line because of him and there’s no way I could let him get away with that. They’re now out looking for him. 

I look at the time and see it’s 6:30 am. Holy shit! I’ve been here all night. I have to be at work in an hour and a half. I can’t leave without knowing what’s going on with Bebe though. But I can’t miss work either.

A doctor comes out to the waiting room. “Mr. McCormick?” 

“Yes?” 

“I want give you an update. Bebe still hasn’t come out the coma. The baby’s heart rate has dropped tremendously so Dr. Chase thinks it’s best that we deliver the baby…now!” 

My eyes widen. “But she’s only 28 weeks. Will she survive?” 

“She won’t survive at this rate if we don’t deliver.” 

I nod. “Do whatever you have to do to save her. But what about Bebe?” 

“We’re doing everything we can for her. From the scan we’ve done, she appears to have a brain injury. We’re not sure when or if she’s going to come out of that coma.” 

“Oh man…” The guilt is eating away at me. 

“We’ll keep you updated on the baby and Bebe.” 

“Um, I’m actually going to go to work. Is there any way you can call me when the baby’s here?” 

“You don’t want to see her right away?” 

“I do, it’s just my job…” 

“I’m sure your job will understand.” 

If you only knew. “I don’t know about that.”

“Think about it and I’ll come back out here once she’s delivered. If you’re not here, I’ll assume you went to work and I’ll call you.” 

I nod. “Thanks doctor.” He leaves. I start pacing back and forth debating on what I should do. I know that I could potentially lose my job, but my daughter is going to need me. She doesn’t have a mom so I need to be there for her. I start biting my lip. I grab my phone and call Kyle from work. 

“Hey Ken.”

“Kyle…?” 

“Is something wrong?”

“I have to take the day off work. Bebe’s in a coma and they’re getting ready to deliver my daughter, I have to stay at the hospital. I’m really sorry and at this point I’m willing to accept whatever consequences will follow.” 

Kyle is silent for a moment. “Kenny…your baby comes first. If Jim doesn’t get that, then maybe this job really isn’t for you. I’ll speak to him.” 

“Thank you Kyle.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck and congratulations!” 

“Thanks.” We hang up. Now it’s time to play the waiting game…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny’s baby girl makes her grand entrance! 
> 
> Butters is arrested again. 
> 
> Kyle and Abby are there for Kenny.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Kenny's POV

I've been sitting in the lobby for the last two hours waiting to hear something...anything! How long does the whole labor and delivery process take anyway? I wish I could be back there, but given the situation, I'm not allowed.

About another hour or so goes by and a nurse finally comes out. She looks around before focusing on me.

"Mr. McCormick? She asks.

I nod and stand up. "Yes?"

"Do you want to come meet your baby?"

I nod. "Yes."

"She's in the NICU so you're going to have to put on a gown and gloves before you go in."

"No problem." I follow her and out on a gown and gloves like she asks and then she leads me in the NICU. She leads me to a bassinet where a tiny little baby hooked up to a ventilator lies. She looks a little…blue.

"Meet your baby girl..." She smiles.

"She's so tiny..." I smile at her, but it quickly fades as I watch her lie there helplessly. She’s not crying or anything, but she just looks like she’s suffering.

"She weighs 1 pound, 14 oz. 13 inches long." The nurse tells me.

My eyes widen. "Oh my God!"

"You enjoy your baby. Dr. Chase will be by to talk to you shortly." She walks off.

I look down at my daughter and smile. I can't believe I'm saying this...my daughter. I have a daughter! I'm officially a father! I gently grab her little hand and she wraps it around my finger. I smile and my eyes begin to water.

"Hey little one. You're not supposed to be here yet, but I'm glad you're here. You have a tough road ahead of you, but I know you're going to be fine. I wish I could hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you and that everything's going to be okay..." I start crying. As happy as I am that my little girl is here, it's really hard for me to see her like this. So little and hooked up to a ventilator.

"Kenny?" I turn and see Dr. Chase approaching me. "Can you come with me so we can talk?"

"Can we talk here? I don't want to leave her side."

"It will only take a moment, I promise."

I nod and follow her into an office. She closes the door and we sit down.

"I wanted to talk to you about the status of your baby."

I swallow nervously. "What is it?"

"We did an ultrasound of the head and it turns out your baby has Stage 3 Intraventricular Hemorrhage which is also known as IVH. That's bleeding in the brain. This is common with preterm babies."

My eyes widen. “Is my baby going to die?”

“I’m not going to lie to you. Stage 3 IVH is pretty serious. If was in stage 1 or 2, I wouldn’t be as alarmed. In stage 3 and 4, it’s possible that she could end up with brain damage or even die.”

“No…” A tear drops from my eye.

“Your baby has low blood pressure and heart rate that’s part of the reason why I went ahead and had an ultrasound performed. I wanted to catch this as soon as possible.”

"So what are you guys going to do to make her better?"

"We're doing everything we can to keep her blood pressure stable. We can't stop the bleeding, that will stop on its own. Her blood pressure and heart rate keep dropping that's why we're working to keep that up and stable."

"Is there anything I can do to help her?"

She shakes her head. "Just be there for your baby."

I nod. "So...how did this happen?"

"Well like I said, this is common with preterm babies."

"Is it possible that the incident that happened with Bebe caused this?" I ask.

"That's definitely what caused the preterm labor. When Bebe arrived, the baby's heart rate had dropped. We had to do an emergency c-section and the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck."

"I guess that explains the discoloration..."

She nods. "It's a good thing she was delivered when she was because there's no way she would've survived." She smiles and takes my hand. "Go be with your baby."

"Is it possible for me to hold her?"

"It's best we keep her on the ventilator. But you can touch her that way she can get use to you."

I nod and head back over to the NICU.

Butters' POV

I'm at my parent's house trying to decide my next move. I need to go back to Atlanta, but because of stupid Kenny, our home has been foreclosed. I've been able to check on my gyms, which seem to be doing well. I also want to go back because I have that fine girl Jessica waiting for me!

The one thing I do know is I can't keep my ass in South Park. Either Bebe is going to die and Kenny's bitch ass will go to the cops and tell them what I did. Or Bebe will wake up and tell the cops what I did. Either way I'm fucked!

The phone rings and I answer it. It turns out to be Wendy calling me from jail. "What do you want?"

"So how did it go?" She asks.

"Once Bebe was unconscious I left."

"Damn! I didn't want Bebe to get hurt, I just wanted the baby hurt."

"Well you may have gotten your wish, but there's no way I can confirm that."

"Go to the hospital and find out!" She demands.

"Are you crazy? For all I know someone may have called the police on me! I'm laying low until I figure out my next move!"

"Ugh! God you're such a pussy! I thought you were supposed to be a tough guy?"

"Look bitch! I'm the one who's life and freedom is on the line here! Best believe if I go down, I'm taking you down with me!"

"Then you'll end up like the others..."

"Fuck you!" I hang up on her. What a stupid bitch! I don't care what she does to me, if I get in trouble for this, I'm exposing that bitch!

There's a knock on the door. Mom and dad aren't home, so unfortunately I have to answer it. It's a cop at the door.

"Leopold Stotch?"

"That's me."

He pulls out handcuffs and puts my hands behind my back. "Leopold Stotch, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Bebe Stevens!"

Shit! I knew this was going to happen! I stand by what I said before, I'm not going down alone!

Kenny's POV

I'm still in the NICU with my daughter. I haven't left her side since Dr. Chase gave me the news on her condition. I'm so worried about her. I've been praying over all day.

"Come on baby girl, you've got to pull through this. You've already changed my life so much, I don't know what I would do without you." I rub her cheek. Her cheek feels so cold.

I start tearing up. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. It's my fault you're in this position. Lee hates me and wanted me to suffer and he took it out on you and Bebe. Both of you are fighting for your lives because of me." I begin to breakdown. "I'm really sorry baby. I never wanted any of this to happen. If only I had been brave enough to stand up to Lee a long time ago, none of this would've happened." I continue crying. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Abby and Kyle. I hug Abby and continue sobbing. "This is all my fault..."

"Shh! No it's not..." She whispers in a comforting tone.

"Kenny, you can't blame yourself. Butters is a sick freak! Hopefully he gets put away for a long time."

"This is exactly what Kevin was talking about. I understand why he kicked me out. He was afraid I was going to put his family at risk." I wipe my eyes. "Instead I put my own child at risk..."

"Dude, don't beat yourself up. She's going to be fine." Kyle tells me. "We're here for you."

I nod. "Thank you."

Kyle looks at the baby. “She’s beautiful Kenny. What’s her name?”

I shrug. “I haven’t decided on one yet…”

"I understand, take your time. I know you want it to be something special.” I nod. “How's Bebe?"

"She's still in a coma. The doctor isn't sure if she's going to come out of it. If she does, she may have possible brain damage." Abby hugs me again. "I will never forgive myself if she dies..."

"I'm going to go check on her, I'll be back in a few." Kyle tells us as he leaves.

I turn my attention back to the baby. I grab her little fingers. “Everything’s going to be okay baby girl…” Abby puts her hand on my shoulder. I turn and look at her. 

“Don’t you think it’s time to make that call…?” 

I shake my head. “No, they don’t want to hear from me.” 

“Kenny come in! Whether you want to admit it or not, you need them right now! You need them now more than ever.” 

I start crying again. “I’m just going to get a bunch of ‘I told you so’s’…” 

She shakes her head. “They wouldn’t be that cruel…”

“Karen would be…” 

She nods in agreement. “Maybe, but now I don’t think she would. You need them for moral support right now. It’s time for you to swallow your pride and call them!” 

I look at my daughter. “I can’t…” 

She sighs. “Well I can’t force you, but don’t you think you should at least tell them their niece is here and let them decide if they want to be here for you?” 

I close my eyes. “I’ll think about it…” I open my eyes and look at her. 

She smiles. “That’s better than no. Trust me, you’ll feel better knowing that no matter how upset you guys are with each other, you’re still there for each other during hard times.”

She has a point. I want to call them, but I’m afraid to. I just think that too much time has passed and they won’t be receptive if I try to contact them. But I need them…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kevin and Karen put their issues aside to be there for Kenny. 
> 
> Kenny deals with two losses. 
> 
> Butters confesses everything!


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Kenny's POV

It's been a few days and there's still no change in my daughter's condition. Her blood pressure has stabilized, but her heart rate keeps dropping. I'm still trying to remain positive that she's going to make a full recovery.

Bebe's still in a coma. Her parents had the option to leave her in a coma or pull the plug. They wanted to give her a fighting chance. I hoping she makes a full recovery as well.

I'm in the NICU with my daughter. I put my finger in her tiny hand and she instinctively wraps her hand around my finger. I smile knowing that she's responding to my touch.

"Hang in there sweetie! Everything's going to be okay. Daddy loves you!" I bend out and kiss her on the forehead.

My phone rings and I see its Kyle from work. I'm not allowed to use my phone in the NICU so I step outside. "Hello?" I answer.

"Hey Ken. How's the baby doing?"

"She's hanging in there. But I'm maintaining a positive attitude! I know she's going to be fine!"

"That's good to hear. I'm keeping you guys in my prayers."

"Thank you Kyle!"

"Well...don't thank me yet. You're not going to like what I'm getting ready to say..."

I sigh. "Let me guess, I'm fired right?"

"I'm so sorry Kenny..."

"Don't be, I brought this on myself. I took days off to be with my daughter knowing that my job was already on the line."

"You're handling this very maturely."

"I told you I was willing to accept whatever consequence for taking off. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but my daughter needs me more than Jim needs me to do his daily chores!"

"So he was mistreating you? Why didn't you tell me when I asked you?"

"It wasn't a big deal. I just wanted to keep my job at that point."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to be mistreated while on the job..."

I shrug. "It doesn't matter. I don't have that job anymore. After 12 years, it's now come to an end..."

"I'm really sorry it had to come to this."

"Don't be. I brought this on myself."

He sighs. "I'll email you a copy of your termination letter."

"Thank you. I need to get back to my daughter."

"You're welcome, I'll be in touch." We hang up. I knew this was bound to happen. I don't know why he would want to keep in touch though. I can't think about that right now, my baby needs me.

Butters' POV

I'm in jail and I'm currently meeting with Gerald, Kyle's dad. I needed a lawyer so I hired him he reluctantly took my case. He’s Abby’s lawyer and was worried about a conflict of interest.

"If this is going to work Butters, you're going to have to be honest with me about everything." He informs me.

"Call me Lee. Everything?"

He nods. "Yes and don't leave anything out."

I sigh. "Well you already know about my relationship with Kenny."

He nods. "Yes, but what does that have to do with your assault on a pregnant woman?"

"I had a crush on Kenny in high school, but he was with Stan. He was all about that big dumb jock Stan who cheated on him with his mom!" I say angrily!

"Lee, get to the point please!"

"I was skinny little nerdy Butters so no one would ever give me the time of day. After Stan and Kenny broke up, we went out to eat a few times, but he was so hurt over Stan that he still wouldn't give me the time of day. I ended up going to school in Atlanta studying kinesiology. I started going to the gym and once I began bulking up, I start participating in body building competitions, I won some, and lost some. I ended up opening up my own gym in Atlanta and became a personal trainer. I stopped going by Butters in college and started going by Lee, some people even called me Leo. About 8 years ago, when Kenny and I ran into each other in Atlanta, he told me he moved there for work. We really hit it off and got really close and then we started dating."

"I hope this long winded story has to do with your attempted murder charge..."

"I'm getting there!" I snort. "Anyway, a part of me still felt like he had feelings for Stan and his other ex Mike. Mike lives in California so I knew he wasn't a threat, but Stan being in South Park where Kenny's family still lives, I knew he would be a problem. Stan made me feel insecure in my relationship."

"Then what happened?" Now he seems interested.

"One day, Wendy contacted me. I was shocked to hear from because I didn't know she had my number."

"What did she want?"

"She told me if I wanted Stan out of the way to visit her in jail, so I did. She found out I was with Kenny and she said she had a way to make sure that Stan wouldn't be able to steal Kenny from me. She wanted me to have him injected with the AIDS virus."

"But she was his wife! Why would she want to do that to him?"

"Because she was angry that Stan filed for divorced."

"I see."

"So I paid the nurse that was administrating the flu shots, to switch Stan's with the AIDS virus. Of course she didn't know what was really in that needle."

Gerald looks shocked. "So Abby wasn't lying about you being responsible for Stan getting AIDS!"

I shake my head. "No she wasn't. I don't regret what I did to Stan. I enjoyed watching that little bitch suffer! My only regret is I didn't get to witness his final moments and that I was stupid enough to tell him what I did."

"That's sick!"

"Well you know what? He raped Kenny and left him with a permanently torn asshole! That's sick!"

"Let's try to stay on topic. Then what happened?"

"Wendy told me she had something planned for Kenny, at the time she wouldn't tell me what. Months later, she called me and told me Kenny was looking for a surrogate to carry his kid and she made sure that Bebe was that surrogate. Bebe was supposed to abuse drugs and alcohol to kill the baby while it was in the womb. She refused to that, so Wendy told her to leave the country with the baby. She wouldn't do that either. Later, she told Wendy that she's not going to hand the baby over to Kenny, but Wendy didn't believe her. That's where I came in."

"What were you suppose to do?"

"She wanted me to cut the baby out of Bebe. I wasn't expecting her or Kenny to try to put up a fight so instead I slammed her into the wall twice."

He shakes his head. "This isn't good Lee, this isn't good at all..."

"Well I confessed to everything so shouldn't that count for something?"

"I may be able to work out some kind of deal with the DA, but you will have to face some jail time. There's no way around that."

I nod. "That's fine." Hopefully I'll only get a few years instead of life...

Kenny's POV

I'm by my daughter's side when the monitors start going off. I see two nurses followed by Dr. Chase come into the NICU.

"Please step outside." Dr. Chase tells me.

"What's going on? Is my daughter going to be okay?"

"Kenny, please go to the lobby! I'll come get you shortly!"

I nod and go to the lobby. I'm greeted by Abby, Kyle, Karen, and Kevin. Abby rushes over to me. "How's the baby?"

I sniffle. "I don't know. Dr. Chase told me to wait out here. The monitors started going off." Abby hugs me.

"We'll pray for her Kenny." Kyle tells me.

I nod and wipe my eyes. "Thank you..." I look at Karen and Kevin. "I guess you guys were right. I was being selfish and I rushed into this…"

"Kenny..." Karen begins, but Dr. Chase comes out.

I walk over to her. “How is she?” 

She shakes her head. “I’m so sorry Kenny.” 

I start crying. “Don’t say that…”

“She was too weak. Her blood pressure dropped and her heart stopped. The bleeding in her brain was too severe for her to survive.”

“No…” 

“I’m so sorry. I did everything I could.” 

“I want to see her…” 

She nods. “I’ll move her into a private room and I’ll let you have a few moments to say goodbye.” 

“Thank you.” She leaves. Kevin comes over to me and puts his arm around me. I turn and look at him. “You knew I was too immature to be a parent.” I shrug. “I guess God felt the same way that’s why he took my baby from me.” Kevin pulls me into a hug and I cry on his shoulder.

“I didn’t want this to happen Kenny, I hope you know that.” He tells me. 

“I couldn’t even protect my baby from Lee. It’s my fault she died. Now I understand why you kicked me out to protect your family. I wish I was as strong and brave as you. My daughter would still be here if I was…” I continue to cry.

“None of that is important right now. I’m so sorry for your loss.” 

“I never even had a chance to hold her…” I sob.

“I’m sorry Kenny.” Karen walks over to me. “If you need anything and I do mean anything, Kyle and I are here for you.” She cries.

“You mean that?” 

She nods. “Of course, you’re my brother and I love you. I never wanted to see you suffer like this.”

“Thank you.” 

“We’re all here for you Kenny…” Abby adds in as she cries. 

“I’m so glad you guys are here, I don’t think I could get through this alone.” They hug me again. I’m grateful to have my family by my side. I can’t believe my baby is dead. I’m going to miss my little girl. I didn’t even get a chance to hold her or feed her or even change a diaper. I’ve wanted nothing more than to be a parent, and because of the selfish way I went about it, my daughter didn’t even get a chance at life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny says goodbye to his daughter. 
> 
> Butters pays for his crimes
> 
> Kenny loses his mind.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Kenny's POV

As promised, Dr. Chase moved the baby to a private room to give me a chance to say goodbye. My family let me go in alone first.

I look at my daughter's lifeless body and completely breakdown. "I'm so sorry baby! I'm really sorry. It's my fault this happened to you!"

I pick her up and hold her in my arms for the first and last time. "I never even got a chance to hold you while you were alive..."

I slowly rock her back and forth. I look at her and smile. "At least you're not suffering anymore. That's the last thing I wanted for you." I rock her some more. "Just promise me you'll watch over your dear old dad my little Angel..." I start crying again.

I hold her for about another hour or so before my family comes in the room. Kevin walks over to me and puts his arm around me.

"She's beautiful bro..." He smiles.

"Why did my baby have to die...?"

"I wish I could answer that, but I can't." He hugs me. "She's in a better place."

"The best place for her is right here in my arms."

Karen, who’s currently on duty, walks over to me. "Come on Kenny, it's time to say goodbye to...what's her name?"

"Angel..." I tell her as I hold Angel close to me. "She's an angel now so it's only fitting." I cry softly.

"Angel is a beautiful name." Abby smiles.

"I agree." Kyle adds.

"I don't want to let her go! Ever!" I cry as I continue hugging Angel.

"I know you don't Kenny, but she's gone and she's not coming back." Kevin tells me. "You have to let go."

"I can't..."

Karen tries to take Angel from me. "Come on Kenny, Dr. Chase has given you more time than usual..."

I shake my head. "I need more time."

"I'm sorry Kenny, but she has to be taken to the morgue now."

"Here, give her to me..." Kevin tells me softly.

"No..." I reply.

He takes Angel from me. "I'm sorry Kenny, I know this is hard." He hands Angel to Karen.

Karen places Angel in the bassinet. "I'm going to take her to the morgue." She leaves.

"No!" I cry out as I completely breakdown. I get on my knees and sob.

Kevin kneels down beside me. "She's in a better place..." He whispers.

"We're here for you Kenny." Abby tells me. "You don't have to go through this alone..."

But I feel so alone now…

Butters' POV

I'm lying down in my cell reading a book. This book fucking sucks, but I needed to do something to pass the time.

"Lee?" I look up and see Gerald standing outside my cell.

"What's going on?" I ask him as I put my book down.

The guard lets him in my cell. I sit up and he sits down next to me. "The baby Bebe was carrying died..."

I smirk. "It did?"

"Lee, this isn't good! Your attack on Bebe caused her to go into premature labor. The baby was born with bleeding in her brain and only survived a few days."

"Wow...so what does that mean for me?"

"The DA is upgrading your charges to murder."

My eyes widen. "Are you fucking kidding me? What are you going to do about this? You're my fucking lawyer!"'

"I'm going to try to work out a plea bargain, but Lee, this isn't good. The DA is out for your blood! You're responsible for the death of an innocent baby!"

I shrug. "I just don't see how they can blame me for that baby's death."

"Lee, you already admitted to me that your intention was to originally kill that baby. I can't ignore that. Plus I got it on tape."

"So basically, I'm screwed?"

"I'm sorry Lee." The guard lets him out. Damnit! Because of that bitch Wendy, I'm going to end up spending the rest of my life in jail. How could I have been so stupid and listen to that miserable cow? I punch a hole in the wall.

Kevin's POV

It’s been a month since Angel passed and Kenny is slowly falling apart. He's been staying at my house because he didn’t want to be in his apartment. Kyle and Karen have packed up all the baby stuff he had and put it in storage.

Under different circumstances, I would be encouraging Kenny to get up and look for a job, but as he stands now, he needs this time off. He's barely ate or slept. Most days I have to force him to shower and brush his teeth. I can't even get him to leave the house.

On a positive note, Butters was sentence to life in prison last week. I was surprised he was sentenced so quickly. I told Kenny the news and he didn't have any reaction to it.

Missy just got through cooking breakfast for everyone. I managed to get Kenny to come down and join us. I fixed his plate for him, but not surprisingly, he didn't touch his food.

"Hey Uncle Kenny," Kam begins breaking the silence at the table, "did dad tell you I'm trying out for football for next year?"

Kenny doesn't answer him or even look at him. He stares down at the ground. "It's hard to believe I'll be in high school in a few months, isn't it?" Kam continues. Still no response from Kenny.

"Mommy, why isn't Uncle Kenny talking?" Katie asks Missy.

"Yeah! He's gotten all weird since his baby died!" Kane adds in.

"Kane McCormick!" Missy scolds.

"Why don't you take the kids upstairs?" I tell Missy and she nods. She takes Katie and Kane upstairs leaving Kenny, Kam, and I.

The doorbell rings and Kam gets up. "I'll get it!" He announces and leaves.

"Sorry about that Kenny, you know how kids can be..." I just realized I probably put my foot in my mouth with that. "Sorry..."

Kam comes back in the dining room with a package. "Uncle Kenny, this package came for you." He hands him the package.

"That's odd. Why would someone send him a package here?" I ask. "Kenny, I wouldn't open that if I were you."

He opens it anyway, and takes out a...baby doll. How weird. He smiles at it. Kam grabs a piece of paper out of the box. "Hey, there's a note!"

I take the note and read it. _"Rest in peace to the child you never deserved to have. I hope this doll will forever be a reminder of what you'll never have._ What kind of sick twisted person would do this?" I look at Kenny who seems to be enamored with the doll. "Kenny, get rid of that thing!"

"Get rid of Angel? Why? Why would I get rid of my baby?" He rocks the doll. "There, there Angel. Daddy's here. Are you hungry? Let's get you some milk." He gets up at actually appears to be looking for a bottle.

Kam and I exchange looks. "He's lost it..." Kam whispers to me.

"Stop it Kam, he's been through a lot." I whisper back. I slowly walk over to Kenny. "Kenny, Angel's dead. This is a baby doll..." I tell him gently.

"I know you never wanted me to have a baby, but don't you think you're being silly by calling my daughter a baby doll?" He looks in the box and finds a toy bottle. "There's your bottle!" He "feeds" the doll.

Kam takes the doll from Kenny and starts shaking it. "Uncle Kenny! This is a doll! See?" He shakes it some more.

Kenny quickly snatches the doll back. "Kameron are you crazy? You'll hurt your cousin! Don't do that!" He rocks the baby.

Kam looks at me and starts to cry. "I can't stand here and watch him carry on like this." He leaves.

He has a point. Kenny is treating this baby doll like it's real. It's like this doll has made him forget that his daughter died. I continue watch him talk to this baby doll. It's official, my brother has completely lost it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview:
> 
> Kenny is served!
> 
> Abby confronts Butters and Wendy.
> 
> Kevin has Kenny committed.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Kevin's POV

It's been a week since Kenny was given that doll and he hasn't put that thing down since. He's really treating it like it’s a real baby. He's feeding it, changing its diaper, and bathing it. The poor guy has totally lost it!

I'm just getting home from work and Kenny is in the living room playing with his "baby". There's a knock on my door. I open it and it's a cop.

"May I help you?" I ask him.

"Are you Kenny McCormick?" He asks.

I shake my head. "No, I'm his brother. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I need to speak with Kenny."

I look over at Kenny who's still wrapped up in the doll. "My brother really isn't in any condition to talk to anyone. Are you sure there isn't something I can help you with?"

He hands me an envelope. "Tell your brother he has officially been served." He leaves.

I close the door and head into the living room. "Kenny?"

"Yes?" He responds not looking away from the doll.

"You've been served..." I hand him the envelope.

"By who?"

I shrug. "Open it and find out."

He opens the envelope and reads the letter. "Bebe's parents are suing me..."

My eyes widen. "Are you serious? Why you? They should be suing Butters! He's the one that put Bebe in a coma!"

"Yeah, but it's indirectly my fault."

"How? Bebe is the one who agreed to help Wendy in her surrogacy plan! If anyone is indirectly responsible for her predicament it’s Bebe!"

"She didn't deserve this. I have my baby, so she held up her end of the deal. The least I can do is pay her medical bills or something."

"You have your medical bills to worry about! Plus Kenny, your baby is dead!"

He shakes his head. "Stop saying that!" He holds up the doll. "Angel is right here!" He puts the doll on his chest and pats it.

"Kenny, that's a freaking plastic baby doll!"

"Can you believe your uncle? Referring to you as a plastic doll!" He tells the doll.

"Kenny!"

He looks at me. "Yes Kevin?"

"That...you know what, never mind. Carry on as you were."

I wanted to reiterate once again that his daughter died, but the look on his eyes, I can see he's dead on the inside as well. That doll is the only thing that's keeping him together right now. I can't take that joy away from him, at least not like this. I know what I have to do.

Wendy's POV

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised when the guard came to get me to tell me that my daughter was here to see me. None of my kids ever come to see me, so this made my day! The guard escorts me to the visitor’s room and my smile quickly fades when I see Abby.

"You have 5 minutes." The guard tells me before shutting the door.

I glare at Abby. "What the fuck are you-"

I'm interrupted by a slap in the face. "Bitch!"

I shove Abby up against the wall. "You want to fight me? You picked the wrong day to mess with me little girl!"

"I did what I wanted to do! That's for my dad and my brother!"

I laugh. "Really? That little baby slap was for them? You must feel so proud of yourself!"

"Shut up! You've hurt and killed innocent people and you're not going to get away with it anymore!"

"Like you're going to do anything about it!" I smirk.

"Do you think I'm scared of you?"

"I know you are!"

"You would be wrong! I know you were behind my dad getting AIDS and since he's no longer here to defend himself, I'm going to make it my mission to see that you suffer! I'm also going to make sure you suffer for the death of an innocent baby that didn't do anything to you!"

"Your dad did plenty to me! He cheated multiple times, hell you're a product of one of his affairs! Then he had the nerve to try to divorce me so he could marry some fire crotch! I'm surprised he didn't get AIDS anyway!"

"First off, my dad cheated on Kenny not you when I was conceived! Second, you're in jail! You guys didn't even have a real marriage!"

"I was in jail when he married me!"

"I still don't understand that one..."

"It's not for you to understand! You need to understand that your dad was a low down dirty cheater who got exactly what he deserved!"

"He didn't deserve that..." I roll my eyes. "What about what you did to Kenny? He didn't do anything to you!"

"He was always in my way! It's his fault I'm in here in the first place! I never got a chance to raise my kids so I wanted to make sure he doesn't raise his either!"

"That's so petty! Especially considering that because of you my mom never had a chance to raise me! You robbed me of getting to know my mom! I’m an orphan because of you!”

“I did you a favor…”

The guard comes in the room. "Times up!"

I stand up and look at Abby. "I would watch who you try to threaten if I were you. I'm the last person you want to fuck with! Remember that!"

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

She says whatever, but she really should watch her back. She's officially on my shit list.

Abby's POV

The day after I paid Wendy a visit, I decided to pay Lee a visit in jail. I prefer to talk to him through the glass. As angry as I am with him, I'll admit that man scares me a bit.

I sit and wait and a few moments later Lee comes out. He smirks when he sees me. "I never imagined you would come see me."

"This isn't a friendly visit!" I tell him.

"What do you want?"

"I just came to let you know what a big sack of shit you are for what you did to my dad and Kenny!"

He puts his hands up. "Hey, don't look at me. Take that up with your step mommy!"

"Oh don't worry, I already spoke to her! But you didn't have to go along with any of her little schemes! You hurt innocent people! My dad told me you use to be a scared little boy, who has a heart of gold. However, all I see when I look at you in a monster!"

"You know your dad wasn't all that innocent!"

I shrug. "He may have had his issues, but didn't deserve to be infected with AIDS, beaten up, or tortured! He suffered badly because of what you did."

"I'm sorry you had to lose your dad, I just didn't want him to come between Kenny and me."

"So you kill him? I wish he did come between you and Kenny because you treated Kenny like trash! He's walking around permanently injured because of your abuse!"

"I love Kenny! I always have!"

I laugh. "That's love? You hurt the man you love? If that's your idea of love then I would hate to see how you treat someone you hate. Oh wait, I already know, you have them infected with AIDS!"

"Stop bringing that up! Believe it or not, I feel terrible for what I did to Stan! I just wanted him tainted and undateable not dead."

"You're such a liar! You know, prison is too good for you! You deserve to spend the rest of your life in a torture chamber!"

"Come on Abby..."

I shake my head. "I don't want to hear anymore! I hope you rot in hell!" I storm off.

Kevin’s POV

I finally managed to get Kenny out of the house…alone. We’re going for a drive and I can tell he’s a little antsy. 

“Kevin…where are we going?” He asks. 

“Just sit back and relax.” I know exactly where we’re going, but I don’t want to tell him yet.

“But I want to get back home to Angel!” He pouts. 

I sigh. “Don’t worry, she’s in good hands. Kam is watching her.” I lie. The truth is, I told Kam to throw that damn doll out as soon as we’re gone! 

“Kam’s only 14, are you sure he can watch a baby? She’s a preemie so she’s very delicate.” 

“Kam will be fine.” 

“Maybe we should call and check on them.” He pulls out his phone. 

I quickly snatch the phone from him. “He’s fine.” I smile. I pull up in front of the Mental Hospital and park the car. “I’ll be right back.” I tell him as I get out of the car. 

I go inside and tell the receptionist who I am. I’m then greeted by two orderlies, one with a straight jacket, who follow me outside. One of them walks up to the car and knocks on the passenger window. 

“Yes?” Kenny asks when he opens the door.

“Hi Kenny, I’m Paul and this is Jeremy.” He points to the other orderly.

“Hi…” He replies nervously.

“Can you step out of the car please?”

Kenny looks at me. “Kevin…what’s going on?” 

“Kenny, these nice guys want you to come with them.” I tell him.

“Why…?” 

“Because you need help…”

He shakes his head. “No I don’t!” He tries to close the door, but Jeremy stops him. Paul unbuckles the seatbelt and pulls Kenny out of car. Kenny tries to grab the door, but he isn’t successful. “Kevin, please! I’m fine, I don’t want to go there!” 

“This is for your own good dude…” I watch as Kenny struggles to break free from Paul’s grip. Jeremy jumps in and grabs the straight jacket and tries to put it on Kenny. “You guys, don’t manhandle him like that. He’s not going to hurt anyone.” 

“Sorry, with mental patients, we can’t risk it!” Paul tells me as he tightens the jacket on Kenny. 

“Let me out of this, I’m not crazy!” He cries out. 

Jeremy takes out a needle, he loosens the jacket a little and injects it in Kenny’s shoulder. Kenny finally calms down. “There you go.” 

I walk over to Kenny and raise his chin so he’s looking at me. He has a blank look on his face. “I’m sorry I had to do this, but you have to realize that doll isn’t real and your baby is dead…” He doesn’t respond. I look at Jeremy. “Is he okay?” 

He nods. “He’s sedated. We’re going to take him to his room. You can visit him during visiting hours. We’ll call you when he’s ready to be released.” 

I nod. “Thank you.” I look at Kenny. “Good luck bro, this is for your own good. I love you.” I give him a kiss on the forehead. Then I watched as he taken into the mental hospital. I hope he’s cured sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kyle from work visits Kenny in the mental hospital.
> 
> Kevin appears in front of the judge on Kenny’s behalf.
> 
> Bebe wakes up.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Kevin's POV

Today is the hearing Kenny was supposed to have with Bebe's parents. Kenny is still in the mental hospital so I got a lawyer who agreed to let me speak on his behalf since I'm Kenny's next of kin and his power of attorney. Bebe's Parents didn't get a lawyer so this hopefully the outcome will be in Kenny's favor.

"My daughter was hired as his surrogate! He was supposed to cover all costs during her pregnancy! She was put into a coma during the pregnancy so Kenny should pay up!" Mrs. Stevens demands.

"With all due respect, Bebe was trying to bamboozle my brother. The attack on her was her own fault! She was well compensated for her services so if that money isn't enough to cover her medical bills, that's not Kenny's problem!" I tell her.

"How was she trying to bamboozle him?" Mr. Stevens asks.

I explain to them the plan for her to either so drugs and to kill the baby or take the baby and leave the country. "She then told Wendy she couldn't go through with it, but later changed her mind and said she would. I'm sorry, but my brother doesn't owe her a damn thing!"

"My daughter would never do anything like that!" Mrs. Stevens slams her hand down.

"Mrs. Stevens, please calm down!" The judge tells her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't sit her and listen to these lies about my daughter!"

"Leopold Stotch confessed everything to his lawyer. It's all on tape." My lawyer tells her.

"That's heresy! You can't use what someone else said against my daughter who's fighting for her life!" Mr. Stevens jumps in. 

"Either way, Mr. McCormick should not be held accountable for your daughter's current medical state!"

"My daughter's bills aren't going to pay themselves!"

My lawyer continues to go back and forth with Bebe's parents for about a good ten minutes before the judge decides to step in. "Enough! That's enough out of all of you!"

"I just want to make sure my daughter has justice!" Mrs. Stevens stomps.

"I said enough! You've all had more than enough time to speak, now it's my turn! As far as the medical bills are concerned, I'm sorry, but Mr. McCormick isn't responsible for paying Ms. Stevens' medical bills." He looks at Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. "I'm sorry for your daughter's condition, but Mr. McCormick is not the blame."

"How can you say that? If he didn't hire my daughter as his surrogate none of this would’ve happened!" Mr Stevens tells him.

"Your daughter was compensated for her services, that's all Mr. McCormick is obligated to pay for! That's my decision! Case dismissed."

"Thank you judge!" I tell him as I smile.

The Stevens glare at me on their way out. "This isn't over!" Mrs. Stevens tells me before walking out.

I shrug. She can do what she wants. I'm just glad the case worked out in Kenny's favor. This is the last thing he needs to worry about right now.

Kyle's (from work) POV 

I'm in Denver this week for work. I heard Kenny was in a mental hospital so I decided to pay him a visit after work. I walk up to the receptionist area. "Hi, I'm here to see Kenny McCormick."

"Name?" She asks.

"Kyle Freeman."

"Sign in please." She hands me a clipboard.

I sign in and hand her back the clipboard. She hands me a list of rules:

_1\. Weekday visiting hours are from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 pm and 4:00 p.m.- 7:00 pm on Mondays and 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays - Fridays. Weekend and holiday hours are 12:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Exceptions are based on specific patient and family circumstances. Visiting cannot interfere with scheduled appointments, programming, activities or the privacy of other patients.  
2\. All visitors must stop and sign in the “Visitor Sign In” book located at the clerk desk and sign out upon leaving the unit.  
3\. A staff member must check all packages, bags, belongings intended for patients before being given to the patient. Any contraband items (sharps/razors, glass items, anything containing alcohol, cigarettes, medications) will be held and given to the visitor upon departure from the unit or placed in the patient belongings bin for the patient to take with them at discharge.  
4\. If a patient is not available for visitors the visitors may wait in the family waiting area outside of the unit.  
5\. If, at any time, there is a problem with a visitor, staff may ask the visitor to leave and terminate the visit. If nursing staff is concerned for patient or staff safety or is concerned with the safety of the patients in the milieu, a visit may be terminated and the visitor escorted off the unit. All incidents will be documented in the patient record and shared with the treatment team in rounds; the continued appropriateness of the visitor to the unit will be determined.  
6\. Any time a patient requests not to have specific visitors, the names of those individuals will be listed at the clerk desk. Unless there is a release of information from the patient, to a  
particular individual, no information will be shared/made available to visitors.  
7\. All minors under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult and must be supervised at all times by that adult who is not the patient.  
8\. Visitors may bring food onto the unit; however, the food must be consumed during the visit. Beverages must be sealed and caffeine free.  
9\. No hospital meals or food is to be shared with visitors._

"Wow..." I whisper to myself as the receptionist hands me a visitor's badge and I give her my briefcase.

"He's in room 110. This gentleman will escort you." She tells me as she points to an orderly.

"Thank you." The orderly escorts me to Kenny’s room. He knocks on the door and opens it.

“Mr. McCormick, you have a visitor.” He tells him. He looks at me. “You can go in, if he gets agitated, you’re going to have to leave.” 

I nod. “I know.” I walk in and he closes the door behind me. Kenny is sitting at a table playing checkers alone. I sit down on the other side of the table. He looks so pale and thinner than usual. “Hi Ken.” 

He looks up at me. “Kyle…hi. What are you doing here?” He says in a monotone voice. 

“I’m in town for work. I heard you were here, so I wanted to come see you.” 

“Oh…I don’t even know why I’m here. I’m not crazy.” 

“No one said you were.”

“They think I am! I just want to see my baby.” 

“I thought your baby died?” I ask him. 

“That’s what they keep telling me, but it’s not true! My baby is alive and well.” 

Oh man, he really believes this. Now I understand why he’s here, but I don’t think it’s healthy for him to be here. “Ken, your baby died. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can go home.” 

He looks at me with a blank expression. “You think my baby died too, don’t you?” 

I take his hand, but he quickly snatches his hands away. I noticed that his hands were cold. “Ken…Kenny. Yes, your daughter is gone. She’s not coming back. I’m so sorry.” I feel myself tearing up a bit. 

He shakes his head, but his expression is so…emotionless. “Why? Why did my baby die? I don’t understand…”

I pull him into a hug. Surprisingly, he’s receptive to it. “I wish I knew Ken. I bet your baby girl is watching over you.” 

“Sure…” He pulls away from me. He gets up and stands up against the wall and starts hitting the wall. I grab his hands to stop him. “Leave me alone Kyle.” 

“Don’t do that Ken, the orderly will kick me out if you get upset!” 

“Maybe you should leave. I want to be alone.” 

“The last thing you need is to be alone…” I tell him gently. “You just came to the realization that your baby died.”

“Why do you care?” 

“Because I like you!” 

He shakes his head. “No you don’t. You already told me you kissed me because you were upset about your divorce.” 

“I just said that because I was your boss at the time, I didn’t want things to be awkward and weird between us.” 

“I don’t believe you.” 

“Ken, I come out of my way to see you when I’m in town. I even flew out here when you first got back just to see you in the hospital. Doesn’t that tell you something?” 

“I’m so confused…” He sits down. 

“I’m not trying to confuse you. I like you, and now that I’m no longer your boss, I would like to see where things go between us.” 

He looks at me, still with a blank expression. “Kyle…we’re friends right?” 

I nod. “Yes, of course.” 

“There’s no way there can be anything between us. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in my time here, I’m toxic. I ruin every relationship I’m ever in which ends up ruining my friendship with that guy. I want us to remain friends.” 

“We can take things slow…” 

He shakes his head. “I can’t even think about a relationship right now. I’m mourning my daughter. I’m still healing physically and emotionally from my last relationship. I need to find a job, find a place to live, and take care of my health.” 

“I can be there for you to help you pick up the pieces of your life. Let me take care of you…” 

He shakes his head again. “That’s sweet, but I need to learn to take care of myself. I’m 34 years old and I’ve never truly been on my own before. Someone is always taking care of me. I’ve been a burden to everyone. When I get out of here, I just want to focus on me and getting my life together. I’m a little late, but I guess better late than never.” He shrugs.

“What about your dreams? You’ve always wanted a family.” 

“I’ve been thinking about that too. Do I really want a family? Or did I just think I wanted one? I was selfish in having a baby and God punished me for my selfishness and took my baby from me. I think that was a sign.” 

“You could always try again.” 

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to go through the motions again. I couldn’t bare it. Kevin was right, I have nieces and nephews. Sure, they’re not my kids, but they love me and I love them. They’re the children I have in my life. My nephew Kam looks up to me, well he use to anyway. I don’t need a baby of my own to be happy. I wish I realized that before I brought an innocent life into the world. I was being competitive with my siblings and that was wrong. I don’t have to have what they have and that’s okay. I’m content with being alone and childless…” He blinks a few times.

I stare at him. “Ken? Are you all right?” 

He slowly turns his head towards me. “I’ve never been better.” He smiles. “Thank you for coming to see me Kyle. You’re a great friend and I’m glad we can still be friends.” 

I smile. “Yeah, me too.” I hug him. “Take care of yourself Ken.” I give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Bye Kyle.” 

I leave the room. Man, I can’t tell if he’s in good shape or bad shape. They have to have him on some serious drugs because he’s not himself at all. He’s very monotone and he’s not showing any emotions. That’s not the Kenny I know…

Bebe’s POV

I open my eyes and look around. Where am I…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Abby and Kenny lean on each other for support.
> 
> Bebe doesn’t remember the events that lead up to her attack.


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Bebe's POV

I realize that I'm in a hospital room. What am I doing here? How did I get here? How long have I been here? I look around and I see my mom in the room sleeping.

"Mom?" I call out to her.

She sits up and smiles. "Honey, you're awake!" She comes over to me and hugs me.

"What happened?" I ask her.

"You don't remember?" I shake my head. "What's the last thing you remember?"

I think for a moment. "I remember having dinner with Kenny and then helping him set up the nursery." I feel my stomach and it's flat. "Oh my God! What happened to the baby?"

"The baby is gone..."

"She's with Kenny? Are they okay?"

Mom shakes her head. "Honey, you don't understand, the baby died."

"Are you serious? How?"

"She was born prematurely and had bleeding in her brain."

I tear up a bit. "Aw man, poor Kenny. I need to check on him."

"He's in the crazy house."

I raise my eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because that loser had a hard time dealing with the death of his daughter."

"Don't call him a loser mom! He's a nice guy."

"He's a nice guy that refuses to pay for your medical bills!"

"What are you talking about? I was already paid for being his surrogate."

"Butters attacked you while you were pregnant to try to get to the baby! He put you in a coma!"

"That's not Kenny's fault!"

"He’s supposed to cover any medical expenses during your pregnancy!"

"As long as it was pregnancy related! That wasn't!"

Mom folds her arms. "Why am I the only one upset about this?"

"I'm upset too, but your anger is directed at the wrong person! Kenny isn't to blame, it's that asshole Butters!" She unfolds her arms. "How long was I in a coma?"

"Six weeks..."

My eyes widen. "Six weeks?! Oh my God!" I shake my head. "That son of a bitch..."

"I have to ask you honey, and I need you to be completely happy honest with me. Were you planning to keep that baby from Kenny?" I turn my head away. "Bebe?"

I nod slowly. "I was..."

She gasps. "Butters told his lawyer about your role in this. You do realize you're going to be in a lot of trouble?"

"I was going to, but I got to know Kenny and he's a really nice and sweet guy. I couldn't break his heart like that."

"When you're questioned, don't admit any of that!"

I shake my head. "I'm not going to lie to the police. I'm probably in enough trouble as it is."

"But you didn't do anything wrong..."

I nod. "Yes I did. The only reason I signed up to be Kenny's surrogate was so I could keep his baby. The original plan was to kill the baby, but I thought that was extreme."

"But you didn't go through with it."

"I know, but I still conspired against Kenny. It almost got me killed and he lost his baby. He paid $100k to have a baby, and he ends up with nothing. That's not fair!" I start crying. I feel really terrible for Kenny, I can’t even begin to imagine the pain he must be going through.

"That's not your problem! You need to worry about whether or not you're going to go to jail!"

I shrug. "I'll accept whatever punishment for what I've done." I shake my head still thinking about Kenny losing his baby. "Poor Kenny..." I feel like shit over the fact that I got caught up in this in the first place. Kenny didn't deserve any of this. He’s the innocent one in all of this! Kenny and that poor baby girl. Rest in peace…

Abby's POV

Grandma and I decided to pay Kenny a visit at the mental hospital. I had to bring an adult with me since I'm underage.

The orderly escorts us to Kenny's room. We go in and he closes the door behind us. Kenny is on the bed reading a book. "Hi Kenny!" I greet him.

"Hi Abigail." He replies in a monotone voice. He never calls me Abigail. He looks up. "Oh hi Mrs. Marsh." He goes back to his book.

"Hi honey." Grandma responds. "You look great!" She says nervously. "I'll be over here." She whispers to me and goes in the corner and starts looking at her iPad.

I sit down on Kenny's bed. "Kenny, are you okay? You don't seem like yourself."

He puts his book down. "Other than wanting to go home, I'm fine."

"How are you feeling? About Angel that is..."

"I miss her like crazy. You probably can't tell, but I'm really depressed. Me being selfish caused the death of an innocent baby."

I hug him. "I know you're depressed. I will say, you're holding up much better than I expected you too."

"I can't walk around sad and crying here. They'll sedate me if I do."

My eyes widen. "That's terrible!"

I shrug. "Maybe, but it's helping me a lot. I'm not crying all the time like I would be at home. I've also had time to think and reflect on my life and I realize my life sucks and I've made so many poor choices. Not anymore!"

I smile. "I'm glad this tragedy is helping you grow as a person."

He looks at me with a blank stare. It's kind of freaking me out. "So how are you holding up?"

I raise my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I've ever asked you how you were doing since Stan passed."

"Kenny...that's been a year. We've talked about it."

"But how are you doing now?"

"I miss my dad like crazy, but I'm taking it one day at a time."

"Don't hold back your feelings Abigail. Let them out. I know you must have a lot of hurt and anger going through you. Especially now that Lee admitted what he did to Stan."

I start tearing up. "Why are you doing this Kenny? I came here to see you, to comfort you!"

I nod. "I know, but you need comfort too." I hug her. "You've been through a tremendous loss too. I have to stop being so selfish and tend to the needs of others. You’re my little sister, so I’m the one who should be there for you. You shouldn’t be coddling me and my feelings."

I start crying. "What have they done to you here? You're acting so...strange!"

"I'm here for you Abigail..."

"I'm here for you too Kenny." I give him a big hug. "I just want you to get better. I want the old Kenny back."

"The old Kenny is dead. He died with Angel..."

I don't like the sound of this. "Kenny...?"

"I was dependent, weak, stupid, crybaby, selfish, stubborn, naive, sensitive, and timid. I don't want to be any of those things anymore."

"But that's what makes you, you!"

"Look at where it's gotten me in life..."

"Things will get better."

He nods. "Now they will. I’ve taken the first step. Kyle came by the other day and told me he likes me and wants to see where things go between us, but I turned him down."

My jaw drops. “Kenny, you love Kyle! Why would you do that?” 

“Because it’s not the right time for that. I want to become a better Kenny first.”

I smile and nod. "I really hope things work out for you Kenny. I hope you get whatever it is you want." I hug him again. This time I notice how thin and frail he is.

"I'm here for you if you ever need anything. I mean that." He tells me. "I love you Abigail."

I smile, still trying to get use to him calling me Abigail. "I love you too Kenny. I'm here for you as well."

"I'm going to be the big brother you've always wanted and deserved, I promise."

"I just want you to be Kenny."

"I will be." He smiles. "Thanks for visiting." Then he quickly goes back to his blank stare.

"You're welcome. I hope you get to go home soon!"

"Me too."

I smile at him one last time before telling Grandma we can leave. I wipe my eyes. It was so hard seeing Kenny like that. The medication they have him on has made him zombie like. I’m really worried about him. I need to talk to Kevin to see if he can get him out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kevin and Kenny finally have a brotherly chat about Kenny’s behavior.
> 
> Bebe is released from the hospital and she pays Wendy a visit.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Bebe's POV

I just finished changing my clothes. Mom went to my house to pick up a few things for me. I'm finally getting released from the hospital today. I can't wait to see my home and my beautiful son! He's been with Clyde this whole time, but Clyde promised to bring him by to spend time with me.

"Are you ready?" Mom asks.

"You know it!" I grin. "I can't wait to hold CJ in my arms! Oh how I missed my boy! I love him more than he'll ever know. I'm so blessed to have him." My smile fades as I think about what I did to Kenny.

"Don't even think about that." Mom tells me as she knew where I was going with this.

"I can't help it! The guilt is killing me!"

"Focus on how happy you'll be to see your son! Fuck Kenny!"

"Mom! Stop!"

I went home and got to spend some time with CJ before Clyde came to pick him up. Usually he's with me, but Clyde thought it would be best that he stays with him full time while I'm recuperating. Usually I would put up a fight, but I'm too exhausted to do this time.

The next day, I decide to pay my dear best friend a visit in jail. Usually I go to the visitor's room and chat with her, but I was told she no longer wants to see her visitors in there anymore unless it's one of her kids. I don't know what that's about.

I'm sitting in front of the glass waiting for Wendy, when I see a guard finally escorting her out. She rolls her eyes when she sees me.

"What do you want?" She asks when she sits down.

"You almost had me killed! You don't have the right to have an attitude right now!"

"Bitch please! Did you die?"

"No, but I could have! I was in a coma!”

“But did you die?”

“No! How could you do that to me?"

She folds her arms. "You know I don't like being double crossed!"

"I told you I would do it!"

She laughs. "Do you really think I believed you? You've betrayed me too many times!"

"Then why do you keep asking for my help?"

"Because you were supposed to be my best friend, you bitch!"

"I was, but I should've said no to your stupid schemes! You always go too far! An innocent baby died because of you!"

"Well you wouldn't keep it, so it had to die!"

"Now Kenny is in a mental hospital because of this! I can only imagine how devastated he must be..."

She smirks. "He's in a mental hospital?"

"That's nothing to smile about! He was already screwed up and now we've made things worse!"

"Since when do you give a fuck about Kenny?"

"We've gotten closer during the pregnancy. He's really a nice guy."

She rolls her eyes. "Well let's see how nice your new best friend when you have to face him. I'm sure he's going to give you hell for what you tried to do to him!"

I shrug. "I wouldn't blame him. What I did was fucked up!"

"Whatever..." She glares at me. “You double crossed me too!”

I shake my head. “No I didn’t! Butters told his lawyer everything. I was in a coma when all of that happened.” 

“Don’t worry, Butters will be taken care of…”

What the hell does she mean by that? Never mind, I don’t even want to know. "Anyway…I just wanted to come by and say we're done. I can't be friends with someone like you anymore! If you want to have someone else killed, don't call me!" I stand up.

"Bebe, wait!"

I glare at her. "What?"

"Did you send me a threatening letter?"

I sit back down. "Really Wendy?"

She nods. "Someone sent me a death threat. That's why I'm only seeing my visitors this way."

I laugh. "Well you've hurt and pissed off so many people in this town it could be anyone."

"Very funny..."

I raise my eyebrow. "Are you scared?"

She laughs. "Scared of what? Some silly threat? Oh please!"

"Well you asked me if I'm the one that sent it. Obviously you must be worried."

"I just want to know who did it so I can have them taken care of too."

I roll my eyes. "If you say so. Have a nice life." I get up and leave. It feels like a giant weight has been lifting off of my shoulder by cutting Wendy out of my life. If I had done this sooner so many lives could've been spared.

Kevin's POV

It's finally time for me to go see Kenny. I've been putting it off for awhile because Kenny is a little miffed at me for sending him there in the first place.

“Hey Kenny.” I greet him once I’m in the room. He’s sitting facing the wall, but doesn’t answer me. Man, he really is pissed. I walk closer to him and I touch his shoulder. “Kenny?” 

“Hi…” He sounds so…robotic.

“How are you doing?” 

He turns and looks at me. He’s face is so pale and his expression is so blank. “I want to go home…”

I nod. “I know you do.” 

“When can I go home?” 

I shrug. “That’s not up to me. The psychiatrist doesn’t think you’re ready.” 

“I am ready. I’ve accepted that Angel is dead and I’ve taken responsibility for everything that’s gone wrong in my life. Why am I still here?”

I sit down. “I’m not sure. So what exactly have you taken responsibility for?” 

“Everything. Things you’ve been telling me for years.” He goes into detail about how immature he is and how he’s always leaning on me or someone for support. The whole time he’s talking I can’t help but to notice there’s no feeling or emotion in his words. 

I smile. “Well I’m glad finally something I said has finally sunk in.”

“You knew it would eventually. I wish it did before I went through all this heartache.”

“At least you learned.” 

He stares at me. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“For everything. For looking out for me, for being hard on when I needed it, telling me the truth when I didn’t want to hear it. Thanks. You didn’t have to do any of that.” 

“It’s no big deal. I felt like I had to.” 

“Why?” 

“Because of mom. One of my last conversations with her before she died, she made me promise to always look out for you.” 

“Really?” 

I nod. “You wouldn’t speak to her and she thought you never would that’s why she made me promise that. She knew you would need me.” 

“I was 18 then, I’m 34 now. It’s time for me to stand on my own two feet. Besides, you have three kids to take care of, you don’t need to worry about my grown ass.”

“Well I’m not going to throw you out on the streets. I want you to get back on your feet first.” 

“I still have my apartment, right?” 

I shake my head. “You were evicted from there. We put your stuff in storage.” 

“Oh. Well I can work something out. I can’t grow the way I want to living under your roof.” 

“I commend you for what you’re trying to do, but be smart about it. You would rather live on the streets than with me and my family just to prove you’re growing?” He doesn’t respond. “You realize how silly that is don’t you?” 

“I’m trying to be independent and do things on my own.” 

“I get that and I want that for you too, but you don’t have to do that being on the streets.” I laugh. “I really hope this trying to be strong and mature works out for you this time.” 

“What do you mean this time?” 

“You gave me this same spiel right before you moved to Atlanta. I also told you not to lose yourself too much.” 

“I didn’t lose myself. I remained the same person.” 

“If you remained the same, you wouldn’t have stayed away for 6 years and you would’ve told us what Butters was doing to you. You never lost touch with us or kept things from us.” 

“I was scared for my life Kevin. You’ve seen Lee, he’s a big intimidating guy. Even before he laid a hand on me, I was scared of him. I did everything I could to make and keep him happy so that he wouldn’t take his anger out on my face.” 

I shrug. “Well you’ll never have to worry about him again.” 

“I know, he got life in prison.” 

I shake my head. I forgot with Kenny being in here he doesn’t know much about the outside world. “I guess you haven’t heard the latest. Butters is dead.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, he hung himself in jail.” 

“I don’t even know what to say. I hate the man for everything he’s done to me so it’s kind of hard to feel bad for him.” 

“I understand. But at least you know he can’t hurt you anymore.” 

“Yeah.” I hug him. “Hopefully you get out of here soon.” 

“From your lips to God’s ears.” He tells me before turning back and facing the wall. I’m glad that I came and we had a chance to talk, even if he isn’t in the right state of mind. I just hope that whenever he gets out of here, he sticks to what he said about growing and changing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Bebe apologizes to Kenny. 
> 
> A showdown between Kenny and Wendy!


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Bebe's POV

It's time for me to face Kenny. This will be the first time I've seen him since the attack so I'm not sure how he's going to react to seeing me. My guess is probably not good.

"Hi Kenny." I greet him once I'm escorted in the room.

He glares at me. "Why are you here?" His eyes look so dark and scary.

"I came to see you and apologize!"

"Go away." He turns his back to me.

"Kenny!" I turn him around so he's facing me. "Will you at least hear me out?"

"What for? Nothing you can say or do will bring back my Angel."

"I'm really sorry about that."

He turns away from me again. "I don't have many friends. I really thought we were forming a friendship and I was grateful for that." He turns back towards me. "I had no idea you were playing me the whole time."

I shake my head. "I'll admit in the beginning I was, but I got to know you and I like you. When I celebrated your birthday with you and when I helped you decorate the nursery, that was genuine!"

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth. Kenny, I know I hurt you and I'm sorry! If you still want a baby, you can always try another surrogate."

He glares at me. "I don't have a job so there's no way I'm going to get $100k to do that again. Plus after what you did, I don't trust that system."

The makes me sad to hear that. "I'm really sorry Kenny. Maybe when you get yourself together, you can adopt."

He shakes his head. "I've given up on my dream of being a dad..."

"Kenny..."

"There's nothing else we need to say, so leave."

"Do you at least accept my apology?"

"Why would I do that? You knew what you were doing. You got what you wanted. My daughter is dead. So why should I accept your apology?"

"I wasn't planning to go through with it! I told Wendy that! That’s why she had Butters attack me!"

"So why didn't you say anything to me if that's the case?"

"I umm...I guess I didn't think it was that important."

"Then I guess me accepting your apology isn't important either."

I nod. "I deserve that. You take care of yourself Kenny..." I tell him just before leaving. I really hope while he's here he gets the help that he needs. He doesn't seem like himself or even healthy at all.

Kenny's POV

I'm putting a puzzle together when my door opens and the orderly informs me I have yet another visitor. I'm over having visitors. I want them to come in here and tell me I can go home.

"Hello there Kenneth." My heart stops at the sound of that familiar voice. I turn and see Wendy glaring at me.

"Wendy..."

"Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?" She pushes me.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean you mutant! You sent me death threats! Threatening to kill me! I thought it was that idiot Butters, but I had him killed and then I got another one telling me I can't protect my kids so I knew it had to be you!" She slaps me.

"How are you even out of jail? You had Lee killed? I thought he committed suicide?"

She slaps me again. "Shut up! I’m the one asking questions!" She tries to slap me again, but I grab her arm.

"Don't you dare slap me again." I glare at her.

She smirks. "Look at you trying to get tough. How cute!"

"You shouldn't be here." I go to the door and knock on the window to get the attention of an orderly or nurse. "Help."

Wendy grabs me and throws me to the ground. "Don't even think about it!" She smirks. "Do you really think anyone can hear you with that weak monotone voice of yours? You sound like a fucking robot!"

I slowly get up and I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. "Damnit, not now..." I whisper as I put my hand on my stomach.

"Something wrong Kenny?" I look at her and see her smirking. She leans closer to me. "Even when you're in danger, you're still so pathetic! This is exactly why you didn't deserve your daughter! You couldn't even protect her from Butters! God, you would've sucked as a father! Your daughter is lucky she's dead!"

I glare at her. "Don't you ever bring up my daughter. Do you understand me?"

"The best thing I did was make sure your daughter didn't make it! No child deserves to have you as a father!" I turn away from her, but she turns my head so I'm facing her. "Is that why you sent me death threats? Is that why you threatened my children?"

I glare at her and nod. "That's right, I did it. I've never did anything to you and yet you keep hurting me and my love ones. You killed my mom, you've tortured my sister, you had Stan infected with AIDS, and you had my daughter killed. It's time you knew what kind of pain you've put me and my family through."

For a moment there, I swear I saw fear in her eyes. "You've really lost your mind! What happened to you? You're not like this."

"Until 15 years ago, I didn't know you were like this. Can't it work both ways? You've never lost a child before you even had a change to bond with it, so you'll never understand why I feel the way I do."

She tears up. "That's not true! All three of my kids were taking from me as soon as they were born!"

"But they're still alive and well. They can come see you anytime they want. I never even had a chance to hold my daughter until she was dead. My daughter will never be able to visit me in here. Well if she were still alive, I probably wouldn't be in here."

"You can't compare the situations!"

"You're right, I can't. My child is dead and your children are still alive. They're alive and happy..." I stare at her.

She backs up a bit. "Dude, you're freaking me out! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I miss my daughter." I move towards her. "It's your fault that my daughter is dead."

She pulls a knife out of her bra. "You better back the fuck up!"

I put my hands up. "How did you get that in here? We're not allowed to have sharp objects."

"I snuck out of jail to see you, I can do just about anything. Now stay back before I gut you like a fish!"

"Put the knife down..." I move closer to her. "We can talk..."

"No we can't! You're fucking weird! You're like a walking dead person! You've threatened me and my kids, there's no way in hell we can talk!"

I shake my head. "I never threatened your kids. I just said you can't protect them, because you can't. You're in jail…at least you’re supposed to be."

"You meant that as a threat!" She takes the knife and cuts my wrist with it. “Well now they’ll think you’ve slit your wrists! That should keep you in here a little while longer!” She smirks.

“You’re crazy…” I try to grab the knife. 

“I’m crazy, but you’re the one locked in the loony bin!” She cuts my other wrist. 

I look and watch the blood drip down my wrists. I look up at her. “Give me the knife so we can sit down and talk like civilized adults…” 

“There’s nothing civilized about your psycho ass! I’ll teach you to threaten me and my kids! You want crazy? I’ll give you crazy!” She tries to stab me, but I grab her arms. She tries to break free. “Get off of me!” I wipe the blood from my wrist on her face. “You really have lost it!” We begin struggling with the knife. She yanks it out of my hand and tries to stab me again, but I shove her to the ground. She looks up at me with that fearful look in her eyes. “When did you get so strong? Don’t worry, you’re still not going to beat me!” She tries to stab me again, but again I stop her and we’re struggling with the knife.

“You’re not going to win, not this time.” I take the knife from her and stab her in the chest. I back away slowly. 

She starts coughing and tries to sit up. “You sick bastard! You fucking stabbed me!” She continues coughing as I look on. “You’re so weak and pathetic! If you were going to stab me, you should’ve killed me! As soon as I get the strength to get up, you’re dead!” She tries to reach for the knife, but I grab it before she does and I stab her in the chest two more times. 

“Jesus Christ, what the hell have you done?” I look and see an orderly standing at the door. I look at him while I’m holding the knife, I then look down at Wendy who’s now coughing up blood…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Wendy fights for her life. 
> 
> Kenny gets another psychiatric evaluation.


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Kenny's POV

I'm currently sitting in Dr. Gilbert's office. She's the psychiatrist at the mental hospital. She’s working on my evaluation to see if I’m a threat to myself or anyone else. I've been put back in a straight jacket for my own "safety".

"When did you begin to have these murderous feelings?" She asks me.

"I didn't. It wasn't my intention to kill her."

"You sent her death threats..."

"I did that to scare her."

"Why?"

"Because she's hurt me and my family so many times. I wanted her to feel scared and threatened. It was never my intention to kill her."

She starts taking notes. She looks at me. "So what made you stab her with a knife?"

"It was self defense. She was trying to stab me. She slit my wrists."

"You didn't do that?"

I shake my head. "No, she wanted to make it look like I did it so that I would have to stay here longer."

"I see." She takes more notes. "What were you doing before Wendy showed up?"

"The nurse had just given me my medicine and then I was putting a puzzle together."

She looks up. "You had your medicine right before that?"

I nod. "Yes, that was my afternoon medicine."

She writes something down. "I'm going to take you back to your room."

"Can you please take this jacket off?"

She shakes her head. "Sorry, not right now." She escorts me back to my room.

Later that afternoon, the orderly comes by to tell me that Kevin is here to see me. As soon as he lets Kevin in, he immediately rushes over to me and gives me a hug.

"Kenny, are you okay?"

I shake my head. "Kevin, I wasn't trying to kill her. I swear.”

"I don't think I can get you out of this one. You're going to be in a lot of trouble for this one! Don’t you get that?"

"I didn't mean it. She slit my wrists."

"Wendy might die! Do you realize how serious this is?"

I nod. "I do, but if I didn't do it, she would've killed me."

"You sent her death threats, no one is going to see that as self defense."

I turn away. "All I wanted to do was scare her..."

"Instead you nearly killed her! You better pray that girl survives!"

I nod in agreement. I’m sure I’m going to suffer severe consequences if Wendy survives, but I know it will be 100 times worse if she dies. I guess all I can do is sit and wait for the news. 

Abby’s POV

I hate Wendy with a passion! Since I’m her stepdaughter, I was informed that she was in the hospital on life support. I found out the reason is because apparently Kenny stabbed her. My first thought when I heard that was, way to go Kenny! I knew someone would take that crazy woman out one day, I just never imagined it would be Kenny. 

Grandma told me out of respect, I should go see Wendy. I was surprised she suggested it since she’s not a fan of Wendy’s at all. So I decided to go by and watch this bitch take her last breath. 

Once I arrived to her room, I see her hooked up to a ventilator, her eyes are closed and it looks like she’s barely hanging on. I sit down next to her.

“I knew it was only a matter of time before you got what you deserved!” I whisper to her. “You’re always hurting people and finally someone has hurt you. You’re not so tough now, are you?” I glare at her, and I can feel my blood boiling. “I hope whatever the outcome is, I hope you suffer and suffer badly! I want you to suffer the same way my dad did, but 1,000 times worse! You deserve it you miserable little bitch!” The next thing I know, I’m being pulled away from her. 

“That’s enough Abigail Marsh!” It turns out to be Bebe. “She’s already on life support! How can you come here and say such horrible things to her? You’re sick!” 

I shake my head. “The only one sick around here is Wendy…and you too for that matter! You’ve always been her accomplice!” I slap her. “I’ve wanted to do that to you for years! It felt good to get that out.” 

She nods. “I deserved that. I tried to frame you for murder 9 years ago.” 

“That was for that and for what you did to Kenny! Why aren’t you in jail anyway? You should be locked up for fraud or something!” 

She shrugs. “You need not worry about me. If you’re here to bring Wendy down, then you can just go home!” 

“I’m not leaving until I find out the status on Wendy! I want this bitch to suffer!” 

She points at Wendy. “Look at her! Clearly she’s already suffering!” 

“This is nothing compared to what she’s put my family through!” 

“Be the bigger person.” 

“Fuck that! She didn’t have anyone in your family killed so you’ll never understand why I’m so angry!” Suddenly we hear the monitor in Wendy’s room going off. A doctor and Karen rush in the room.

“Her blood pressure is dropping!” The doctor states. 

Karen walks over to us. “You guys have to leave.” 

“Is Wendy about to die?” I ask her.

“I can’t answer that! Now go!” She demands. Bebe and I step outside. We both go our separate ways once we’re in the waiting area. I guess now it’s all about playing the waiting game. 

About 45 minutes later, I see Karen coming into the waiting area. I rush over to her. “It’s over…” She whispers and I see a hint of a smile on her face. 

“She’s dead?” 

She nods. “She lost a lot of blood, plus the knife hit an artery. The doctor couldn’t stop the bleeding.” 

“Wow…” I turn away from her. 

“Are you okay? I mean I know she’s your wicked stepmom and all.” 

I shake my head. “I don’t even claim her. I’m fine though, I’m just worried about Kenny.” 

“Why?” 

“He’s going to go to jail for this. He killed her.” 

“As a nurse, I shouldn’t talk like this, but that bitch deserved to die!” 

“But aren’t you worried about what’s going to happen to poor Kenny?” 

She shakes her head. “I think Kenny will be fine. He’s already in the loony bin. They’ll probably just keep him in there. At this point, that’s probably the best place for him.” 

I shrug. I really don’t agree with that. I think being in the mental hospital has changed Kenny for the worse. The old Kenny would’ve never done this! He wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Kenny’s POV

So I’ve heard the bad news. Wendy’s dead. I’ve officially become a murderer. I took the life of a not so innocent woman. Now it’s time for me to face the music. I have to meet with Dr. Gilbert, a cop, and a judge to decide my fate. It’s possible I’m going to end up going to trial and spending the rest of my life in jail. Kevin came to support me. 

“Dr. Gilbert, what evidence can you provide me with that will show that Mr. McCormick wasn’t in his right mind?” 

She pulls out some documents. “If you look at Mr. McCormick’s charts, it turns out he was accidentally given a double dose of his Trazodone in addition to his daily medications he takes for pain and the remains of his intestines. Some psychiatric side effects of Trazodone are hostility, Hallucinations, mania, impaired speech, suicidal ideation, disorientation, aggressive reaction, agitation, anxiety, paranoid reaction, and psychosis.” She hands the documents to the judge. “These side effects caused Mr. McCormick to snap especially due to the fact that Mrs. Marsh had already cut him.” 

“Mmm hmm…” The judge states. 

Kevin and I exchange looks. “It’s going to be okay…” He whispers in my ear. 

“You do provide some strong evidence Dr. Gilbert.” The judge tells her. 

“Not to mention that Mrs. Marsh was an escaped criminal that somehow managed to make it past security with a knife. Clearly she had some intention of hurting Mr. McCormick. Mr. McCormick had already snapped due to life events that happened to him because of Mrs. Marsh. Mrs. Marsh coming to his room and provoking him only made things worse for her.” 

The judge looks at me. “Honestly son, looking at you, I wouldn’t think you would be able to hurt a fly. But you did murder a woman.” I look down. “For the evidence Dr. Gilbert has presented, not only were you attacking in self defense since Mrs. Marsh attacked you first, it’s clear that due to you being overmedicated, you weren’t in your right frame of mind.” 

“What does that mean, your Honor?” 

“This means due to your level of sanity, you won’t be facing any jail time.” 

I see Kevin jump up for joy. “Thank you, your Honor.” I tell him.

“However, you will remain in the mental hospital under Dr. Gilbert’s care until you’re determined to no longer to be a threat to yourself or anyone else.” 

“Yes, your Honor.” 

“Thank you judge.” Dr. Gilbert tells him. 

“If this happens again Mr. McCormick, you may not be so lucky.” I nod. He dismisses the case and leaves. 

Kevin hugs me. “I’m so happy you’re not going to jail!” 

“Me too…” I tell him. 

Kevin looks at Dr. Gilbert. “Please do whatever it takes to cure my brother…and soon!” 

She smiles. “I’m working on it.” She leads me back to my room and finally removes my straight jacket. I’m so happy that I’m not going to jail. I never imagined that I would be given a second chance. I hope I can get out of here soon so I can get my life back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Things start looking up for Kenny.
> 
> Bebe learns her fate.


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Bebe’s POV

“Bebe Stevens orchestrated a cruel fraud, the effects of which are still being felt by the victims,” The Attorney said. “She not only stole victims’ funds, but in many ways caused other injuries to the victim, permanently foreclosing certain victims’ ability to proceed with a surrogate pregnancy for which he had planned for some time now. When greed leads individuals to break the law, we will do everything in our power to investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible.” A couple of nods and whispers are heard from the jury. 

“No family should endure the heartbreak caused by this fraud scheme.” The attorney continues. “Stevens’ client was victimized at a time when he was most vulnerable, entrusting her with both his finances and his families’ future.” 

I’m currently in court awaiting to find out my sentence. I’ve been accused of surrogacy fraud. After that speech from the attorney, the judge went into recess. 

I’ve now been waiting for about 20 minutes and I’m growing more nervous by the minute. I start tapping my fingers. What could be keeping him?

“Don’t worry, it will be okay.” Mr. Broflovski tells me.

“I just want to get this over with…” I whisper back. 

I finally see the judge and jury returning to the court room. The judge glares at me. 

“Ms. Stevens, the jury finds you guilty of committing fraud.”

I nod. “Yes your Honor.”

“I’m not done…” He tells me. “You will be sentenced to five years and three months in prison for the fraud scheme you carried out through the surrogacy agency, the sentence is to begin immediately.” 

I close my eyes. Five years? FIVE YEARS? Do I really deserve to be in there that long?

“You’re also ordered to pay restitution to the victims, Kenny McCormick and the surrogacy agency and to pay a forfeiture judgment to the United States. A hearing is scheduled at a later date to determine the restitution amounts due to each victim and the total amount subject to the forfeiture order.” He dismisses the case and asks the bailiff to take me into custody.

“I’m sorry Bebe, this was actually a light sentence.” Mr. Broflovski tells me. “You can always appeal.” 

I shake my head. “No, I hurt so many people, so I’m going to accept responsibility for my role in this. The others involved have already paid, so now it’s my turn…” I tell him just as the bailiff comes to escort me to my new home for the next five years and three months. 

Kenny's POV

I'm returning back to my room at the mental hospital. I’m just coming back from a week long visit in the hospital. I had an intestinal transplant. Ironically Wendy, was the donor. Now I no longer have to take medication for my intestines so that’s a plus! 

I decide to lie down and take a nap. I'm totally worn out after surgery which I'm surprised about. I thought I would have more energy now that I had the transplant. Maybe it will come in time.

My door opens and I turn and see the orderly who tells me I have a visitor. I sit up and see its Kyle freeman. The door closes and Kyle sits down in the chair.

"How's it going Ken?"

"Good. How are you?"

"I'm great. I have some good news for you."

I raise my eyebrow. "Really? What is it?"

"I had Jim fired."

My jaw drops. "Oh wow, why?"

"Because he treated you unfairly. Even though you didn't admit to me what he was doing to you, others did. He was bullying you and that's not tolerated at all."

I shrug. "It wasn't that bad Kyle, honest."

"That's not what I told. I was told by multiple people that Jim was on your ass from the time you got in until the time you left. Making you do everything you weren't suppose to like getting his coffee and heating up his lunch. You barely got a lunch break yourself."

"It's really not as bad as it sounds..."

"So you crying at your desk or in the bathroom isn't as bad as it sounds? Or complaining to Jim how much pain you were in and him dismissing it wasn't as bad as it sounds?"

I look down. "They knew about that...?"

He nods. "You weren't as discreet as you tried to be."

"I see. Well I guess the higher ups did what they had to do."

"Yeah. I'm taking over Jim's position. I'm now the IT Director!"

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"So how is that going to work? Jim was here and you're in Atlanta."

"I'm still going to work out of the Atlanta office, but I may decide to move to Denver sometime in the future so I don't have to keep coming back and forth."

"That makes sense. Again, congratulations."

"Thanks. You know we still need to fill your position. Would you be interested in coming back once you get out of here?"

I shake my head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've been thinking, after all the shit that Jim put me through, it's probably time for me to become my own boss. I'm thinking of doing some freelance IT work."

He smiles. "Good luck, I know you'll do just fine."

"Thank you. I know it's going to be a struggle, but I know it's going to be worth it in the end."

He nods. "Definitely. I commend you for being brave enough to jump out there and just do it. I like that! You're so motivated."

"Thanks..." There's a few moments of silence when suddenly Kyle grabs me and pulls me into a kiss. It's that moment when I realize, I'm not feeling it. I push him away. "Kyle don't..."

"What's wrong?"

"I told you, I'm not ready for this."

He runs his fingers through my hair. "I just want to make you feel good..." He starts kissing me on my neck.

I will admit this does feel good, but it's so wrong. "Kyle, please stop." He doesn't stop, he starts leaving a trail of kisses down my neck and I feel his hand go up my shirt. I push him away again.

"Just relax..." He whispers.

"If the orderly catches you, he's going to kick you out."

"Then I'll make it quick." He slowly makes his hands up to my chest and starts rubbing my nipples. My body tenses up and I let out a small squeal. "Shh, just relax." He tries to take my shirt off, but I stop him. "Relax!" He tells me again.

"But the orderly-"

"I'll be quick." He takes my shirt off and starts examining me with a frown. "Goddamn you're skinny! I knew you were thin, but I never realized how thin!"

I quickly grab my shirt and put it back on. "I just had an intestinal transplant. Maybe I'll start gaining weight."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you feel self conscious, it was just an observation."

I shrug. "It's okay."

He smiles at me. "Now, where was I?" He tries to grab me again, but I push him back. "What's the matter? Are you still worried about the orderly?"

I shake my head. "It's not that. I'm just not feeling it between us."

“I thought you had feelings for me?” He asks. 

“I did, but when you kissed me, I felt…nothing.” 

Kyle’s face turns beet red and he nervously starts rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh man…I feel like a complete dick! I’m so sorry! I was being so aggressive. God, I feel so stupid…” 

“Don’t.” I glare at him. “Can I ask you a question? Where did these feelings for me even come from? When I first met you, you were happily married to your high school sweetheart Jessica. You never once even hinted at being bi.” 

He sighs. “Honestly, I never thought I was. When I first met you, I thought you were little and cute. But it wasn’t a “I want to get to know you” type of attraction. As time went on, I started to catch feelings. It threw me for a loop because I’ve never had feelings for a dude before. I guess once I knew Jessica was going to be out of my life, I thought I would make my move on you.”

“Then you told me that kiss meant nothing to you. That really hurt me because it meant something to me.” 

“I’m really sorry I hurt you Ken.” 

“It’s okay. I realized when you kissed me, you’re not the one for me. I want to be with a man that’s 100% gay. I’ve been in three relationships and two of those guys were bi. Both of them cheated on me with women. I’m not setting myself up to get hurt like that again.” 

“But I’m not those guys. I wouldn’t hurt you.” 

“I know you won’t. I’m not going to give you a chance to. I’m tired of being the one who’s left hurt and vulnerable. Not anymore. No one will ever hurt me again.” 

He nods. “I respect your decision.” He looks down.

I put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you’re 27. You’re still young and have plenty of time to find love again, with a man or woman. I’m just not that person.” 

He smiles. “Thanks Ken.” He stands up. “We’re still going to remain friends, right?” 

I smile. “We better.” 

“You take care of yourself.” 

“You too.” With that he leaves. I’m glad that chapter is done with. Kyle Freeman is a nice guy, but I just can’t see myself with another confused bisexual. Besides, I’m working on becoming a better Kenny before I can even think about another relationship. Maybe next lifetime Kyle…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny is finally released from the mental hospital!


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Kevin's POV

After an 18 month stint in the mental hospital, Kenny is finally being released today. I'm meeting with Dr. Gilbert so she can discuss how to care for Kenny once his discharged.

"He still needs to take his Trazodone twice a day." She tells me.

"I'll make sure he does that." I reply.

"Does he live alone? The last thing he needs is to be alone right now."

I shake my head. "No, he was evicted from his place not long after he came here. He'll be staying at my house."

"Good, good. If he relapses at all, don't hesitate to call me or bring him back here."

"I won't."

"I still would like for Kenny to meet with me at least once a month."

I nod. "I'll make sure he does."

We talk for a few more minutes before she has the orderly escorts me to Kenny's room. When I get there, he's putting a puzzle together.

"Hey bud, it's time to go." I tell him.

He looks up at me. "Go where?"

"Home." I smile. "You've been released!"

His eyes light up. "Really?"

"Yes really. Get your stuff together."

He frowns. "But where is home? You said I was evicted from my apartment."

I nod. "Yes, that's true. You're going to stay at my house for awhile."

He shakes his head. "I told you I don't want to do that."

"Where the hell else are you going to go?"

He shrugs. "I don't know, but I need my own place."

"Don't be stupid! You don't have anywhere else to go. Plus Dr. Gilbert doesn't recommend you living alone so you'll stay with us so I can keep an eye on you."

"Kevin, I'm not a child. I don't need a babysitter."

"I didn't say you were. Dr. Gilbert just wants you to be closely monitored in case you relapse."

"Oh my God. If that's how she feels, then why am I being released?"

"She doesn't think you're an immediate threat to yourself or anyone else. That doesn't mean that could change."

"Why can't I live alone and you call and check up on me?"

I shake my head. "You can't be left alone for an extended period of time so that won't work."

He rolls his eyes. "But-"

"I'm not going against doctor's orders!" I interrupt him. "Now get your shit packed so we can get out of here! You're wasting time right now!"

He glares at me for a moment. "Okay, okay."

Kenny's POV

The car ride home with Kevin is silent and awkward. I'm glad I'm finally leaving the mental hospital, but I'm disappointed that I’m going back to Kevin's house. I'm supposed to be growing and maturing, how can I do that living under my brother's roof and having him tell me what to do like I'm one of his kids?

Once we arrive at his house, I reluctantly get out of the car. I go to grab my suitcase, but Kevin stops me.

"I'll get it." He tells me.

I sigh. "Kevin, please let me do something for myself..."

"Don't worry, you will." He tells me as he grabs my suitcase.

I roll my eyes just before we walk in the house. Once inside, we're greeted by Missy, Kam, Kane, and Katie.

"Welcome home!" Missy greets me. "How does it feel to be out?"

I nod. "Good..."

"Hi Uncle Kenny!" Kam runs over to me and gives me a big bear hug. Kam has gotten a lot bigger (height and weight wise) since the last time I've seen him. Judging by how tight his hug is, I'll say he's gotten stronger too. He’s practically crushing me. 

"Kam! Be careful with your uncle!" Kevin tells him.

"Sorry Uncle Kenny." He releases his grip.

"It's okay." I look up at him, just amazed by his size. I barely come to his shoulders. "You've definitely gotten bigger..."

He smiles. "I'm 6'3 and still growing. The doctor thinks I may hit 7 feet!"

"Oh wow."

"Yeah, everyone thinks I should play basketball, but I love football!"

"Well if you love it, then you should stick with it."

"Thanks Uncle Kenny!" He playfully rubs my hair and laughs. "Remember when you use to do that to me when I was a little kid? It looks like the roles have reversed, huh little buddy?"

I chuckle. "Yeah, your dad did that to me until I was 25." I look at Kane and Katie. "Hi kids."

"Hi Uncle Kenny..." Kane says nervously before hiding behind Missy.

I crouch down to Katie's level. "Hi sweetheart."

"Hi..." She joins Kane in hiding behind Missy. “Can I go to my room now Mommy?” 

She nods. “Go ahead.” 

“I want to go too!” Kane adds. 

Missy looks at me. “Sorry about that. I’ll take them upstairs.” She does that. 

I look at Kevin. “What was the about?” 

I notice Kevin and Kam exchanging looks. “The kids fear you Kenny.” 

“Why?” 

“They found out you were in the “crazy house” so they think you’re crazy. They know about what you did to Wendy.” 

“Why would you tell them about that?”

“He didn’t Uncle Kenny. Kids talk…” Kam adds. 

“So now they’re afraid of me?” Kevin nods. “I don’t want them to be afraid. I would never hurt them, you know that, right? I wouldn’t hurt any of you.” I can feel my anxiety taking over. I need to stay calm down. 

“I know you wouldn’t. Just give them some time, they’ll come around.” Kevin tells me. 

I nod. “Maybe I should go visit Karen and Kyle. I haven’t seen them in almost a year.” 

Kevin shakes his head. “I wouldn’t do that either. Their kids are more afraid of you than mine are.” 

“Oh man…” 

“Yeah and Aunt Karen is pregnant and cranky. She may bite your head off!” Kam tells me. 

“Kam!” Kevin looks at him. “Go to your room!” 

“What did I do?” 

“Just go!” He leaves. 

I raise my eyebrow at Kevin. “So Karen’s pregnant again?” 

He nods. “She’s due any day now. That’s why she and Kyle stopped visiting you. They didn’t want you to know.” 

That doesn’t make any sense. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t they want me to know?” 

“They thought it might be a sensitive topic for you considering what happened to Angel.” 

“Wow…so instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, you guys decided to hide it from me? Thanks for the vote of confidence.” 

“Kenny, it wasn’t like that. We just wanted you to get better. We were afraid if we told you, it would bring up all the emotions about Angel and cause you to lose it.” 

I shake my head. “I’m hurt about being left in the dark. You know, just because I lost a child doesn’t mean I’m going to lose my shit over hearing the word ‘baby’. I’m happy for Karen.” 

He raises his eyebrow. “Really? You don’t feel jealous? Or maybe even feel like they’re rubbing it in your face?” 

“No…” I can feel myself getting upset, but I’m not going to revert back to the old Kenny and cry about it. “Do you guys really think that low of me?” 

“We just know how you are.” 

“No, that’s how I was.” I fold my arms. “Why can’t you see that I’m trying to grow?” 

“Because I don’t believe it. I’ve heard this before and you really don’t change. You like to play it off, but I know you want to burst out in tears right now. That’s okay. Just let it out Kenny. If you keep your feelings bottled up, you may end up snapping again.” 

“Stop it Kevin.” I turn my back to him. “You’ll see that I’m growing, just watch.” 

“Did the orderly give you your medicine before you left?”

I turn back towards him. “So now you want to medicate me?” 

“I was told you need to take your medicine twice a day. I think it might be time. You’re getting really upset.”

“If I’m getting upset, it’s because you’re upsetting me.” 

He grabs a pill bottle and gets a pill out and hands it to me. “Take it.” 

“I don’t want to take it right now, it will make me sleepy.” 

“You need to rest anyway, you’ve had a long day. If you don’t take it on your own, I’ll make you take it. Is that what you want?”

I shake my head. “Please stop treating me like a child. I’m 35 years old.” 

“If you act like a child, I’ll treat you like one.” 

I roll my eyes and take the pill. “Happy now?” 

“Very.” I pick up my coat and head towards the door. “Where are you going?” 

“Kevin, please. I’m an adult, I don’t need to tell you my every move.” 

“Yes you do! If something happens to you, it’s my responsibility. Now tell me where you’re going!” 

I sigh. “I’m going to visit Abby.” 

“I’ll drop you off.” 

“I can walk.” 

“Oh no, you just took your medicine. You said it makes you sleepy. That’s dangerous for you to walk over there. I’ll drop you off and either I can pick you up later or Abby can drop you off.” 

I sigh. “Fine. I don’t want to argue with you.” I can’t believe the way Kevin is treating me. He’s really talking to me like I’m one of his kids. This living arrangement isn’t going to work for me. I need to hurry up and get on my feet and get back in my own place. Living with Kevin is sure enough going to send me back to the “crazy house”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: 
> 
> Kenny has an emotional chat with Abby. 
> 
> Kenny finally pays a visit to Angel’s grave.


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Kenny's POV

We arrive at Abby's. Not only does Kevin drop me off, he even walks me to the door. I roll my eyes. "You didn't have to escort me to the door."

"Quiet! I want to talk to Abby." He tells me. I roll my eyes again. I really hate this treatment.

Abby opens the door. "Kenny! You're out of the mental hospital!" He hugs me. "Hi Kevin." She greets him.

"Hi. Can I talk to you over here for a second?" Abby nods and they go back his car. I see Abby nodding and she looks at me. Obviously they're talking about me.

After a few moments, Kevin leaves and Abby walks back over to me and smiles. "You ready to go inside?"

I nod and follow her inside. She escorts me to the living room and tells me to have a seat on the couch. "Do you want something to drink?" She asks.

I shake my head. "No thanks."

She sits down beside me. "Well I'm glad that you're finally out of that mental hospital!" She smiles.

"Thanks. I just wish I had money to get my own place."

"Well I'm sure Kevin will let you stay until you get back on your feet."

"Yeah, but he insists on treating me like a child while I'm there."

"He's just trying to look out for you."

"That's fine and all, but he's being overbearing and controlling. Next he'll be telling me when to take a bath and go to bed."

"You've been through so much. He just wants to make sure you're okay."

"I am okay. If I wasn't, they wouldn't have let me out. Kevin knows I'm in a vulnerable place because I don't have a job or money and he's taking advantage of that."

She shakes her head. "No. You really don't believe that do you?"

"Yes I do. I'm trying to grow and mature and given the current situation, I'm forced to be dependent on him again. He's never going to take me serious at this rate."

"You need to show him instead of telling him."

"I'm trying, in the meantime I want him to stop treating me like a child. I'm 35 not 5."

She nods. "Maybe you should sit down and talk with Kevin about this..."

"I will, I just need to calm down first. I'm really upset with him."

"I can tell. This is the most emotion I've seen from you since you went into the mental hospital!"

"I just felt like he was mocking me. He told me about Karen being pregnant. I get why they didn't tell me, but they could've at least given me the benefit of the doubt. He asked me if I was feeling jealous or if I felt that they were rubbing having a baby in my face. I never felt that way and I'm insulted that he thinks so little of me." My eyes start to water. Damnit Kenny, don't you dare start crying.

"Kenny..." Abby says softly.

I shake my head. "I'm not going to let Kevin get to me. I'm not going to let anyone get to me anymore. I'm not going to break down and cry over every little thing. That was the old Kenny." Before I know the tears are falling from my eyes, but I quickly wipe them. "Damnit. I've been doing so well with that."

Abby puts her hand on my shoulder. "It's okay Kenny, you're hurt. Just let it out."

"I'm sorry Abby..."

"For what?"

"I told you I was going to be the big brother you deserved and once again I failed you."

She hugs me. "Oh Kenny, you already are! I love you and I'm proud of you."

"How can you be proud of me? Look at me sitting here crying like a big ass baby."

She shakes her head. "You're hurt and you have every right to be."

I wipe my eyes. "I meant what I said. I refuse to let anyone reduce me to tears anymore. No matter how hard they try."

She nods. "I really think you should sit down with Kevin and get everything out in the open."

"I will..."

"Wow, I’ll say it again, this is the most emotion I've seen from you since you were in the mental hospital." She chuckles.

"I know. I was working on that while I was in there."

"I'm sure the drugs helped with that..."

I smile. "Maybe a little, but it really helped me reflect on me and my life. Not only do I need to change, I want to change. I really want to start my own business, but I just don’t have the money to do so."

“Why don’t take Kyle up on his offer and see if you can get your old job back?” I start to say something, but she stops me. “I know you don’t want to go there, but you need to swallow your pride and go back. The money you make there you can save some to move out, but also put that into your business.” 

“Yeah, but that was so long ago I doubt the job is available anymore.”

“You won’t know if you don’t ask.” She smiles. “Kyle likes you, I’m sure even if you can’t get your old job back, he can find something for you to do.” 

I shrug. “I guess. I have to do something and fast.” 

"There's something else you need to do..."

"What's that?"

"I think it's time you paid Angel's grave a visit."

I shake my head. "I'm not ready for that."

"Come on Kenny. You had a hard time accepting that she's gone! That's what got you put into the mental hospital in the first place. Go pay your baby girl a visit."

I look away. "I can't. Besides...I'm really tired. I probably should head home."

She raises her eyebrow. "Now you're tired all of a sudden?"

I nod. "It's my medicine. It makes me sleepy. Kevin forced me to take it before I came over here."

She looks at me. "Are you just saying that so you don't have to go to the cemetery?"

I shake my head. "It's the truth. That's why Kevin dropped me off. He didn't want me walking over here and possibly passing out on my way."

"I believe you. How about this? We'll go to the cemetery for a quick visit, then I'll take you home?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

She smiles and shakes her head. "Nope!"

I sigh. "Fine, let’s go."

We arrive at the cemetery and I'm hesitant on getting out of the car. "Come on Kenny, you promised." Abby reminds me.

"I know..." I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

She puts her hand on my shoulder. I open my eyes and look at her. "It's going to be fine."

I nod. "I know, I just need a minute."

"I'm going to go see my dad. How about we meet back at here in 15 minutes?"

"That works."

She leaves. I sit for a few moments before getting out of the car and walking to Angel's grave. I look down at her headstone Angel Grace McCormick. I kneel down and touch the headstone.

“Oh my little Angel. I’m so sorry I didn’t come visit you sooner. Daddy had a hard time accepting you were gone. I was locked away in a mental hospital for 18 months. I’m doing much better than I was before, but it hurts me that you’re gone…a lot!” I start to tear up. “I really screwed up everything and I’m so sorry that you had to suffer because of my mistakes. I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I know you’re no longer here, but I will be a dad you can proud of. I promise Angel. I’m going to get my life back on track, hopefully start my own business, clean up my credit, and buy a house. I’m going to enjoy the life I’ve been dealt instead of living in a fantasy world and making stupid decisions.” I wipe my eyes. “Keep watching over me sweetheart, you’ll see!” I smile. “Say hi to Mom and Dad for me…Stan too.” I stand up and look down at her headstone one last time. “I promise I’ll be by to visit more often, I’ll even bring flowers next time. I love you.” I head back to the car. Abby is already there waiting. 

“Do you feel better?” She asks me as I get in the car.

I nod. “I do, I can say that I’m at peace now.” 

She smiles. “Good. I knew coming here would make you feel better.”

“It really did. I can say, I’m in a better place now.” I smile back. 

“Are you still feeling tired?” 

I nod. “Yes, but the first thing I’m going to do when I get home is have a heart to heart with Kevin. I have to apologize to him for everything.” 

“I’m proud of you. Let’s get you home.” 

I nod. While it’s true that I do feel at peace, I still feel like apologizing to Kevin will help in my growth process. He’s done a lot for me in the last 17 years and I feel like he feels that I didn’t truly appreciate it. I want him to know that I did and I’m sorry for my jerk behavior. From here on out, Kenny McCormick is on the road to redemption!


	40. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kenny's POV

So much has changed in my life within the last year. Good things for once, all good things!

Kevin and I made up. We sat down and had a long talk about how he's been treating me. I also thanked him for everything he's ever done for me and how lucky I am to have him for a brother. He appreciated me being man enough to say how I felt.

The rest of his family is doing well. Missy is working part time at Kane and Katie’s school so that she can work and still spend time with them when they’re not in school. Kam is doing extremely well in football. He’s a junior in high school and he already has colleges scouting him.

Kyle and Karen had a third baby, another girl named Kayla Grace. Obviously they chose Grace after Angel. They said a boy isn’t in their future so this will be their last baby. The other girls are doing well and are enjoying their new baby sister. Karen and Kyle even asked me to be Kayla’s godfather. I really felt honored. Not only am I this little girl’s uncle, I’m her godfather as well. They never picked godparents for their other daughters, so the news was really shocking to me. I feel like it’s the next best thing to being a dad. 

Abby is following in my footsteps and in attending college at UCLA. She’s studying Nursing. She got a full academic scholarship. I’m so proud of the young adult that she’s become. I helped her move into her dorm. We talk just about every day. She’s loving college life. 

As for me, I took Abby’s advice and swallowed my pride and called Kyle to see if I could get my old job back. Unfortunately, the job had been filled. However, Kyle did find a position for me. I’m now a Systems Administrator. It doesn’t pay as much as my old job, but I’m grateful that I was able to get this job. 

Since I was living with Kevin, I was able to save up some money to put a down payment on a house. That’s right, I’ve bought a house! All by myself! It’s a three bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse. It’s not big, but it’s perfect for me. 

Kyle apologized to me again for his behavior when I was in the hospital. I told him I just want to move forward and not hold any grudges. 

Kyle’s now living in Denver and we occasionally hang out after work. He’s come to terms with his sexuality and he is gay. I set him up with an old classmate of mine Craig. They’ve been dating for six months now and Kyle thanks me every day for that. I’m really happy that he’s happy. They make such a cute couple. 

Kyle and I are working as business partners in an IT consulting business. So far all we have is the company name and our mission and vision statements. Hey, we have to start somewhere. We’re currently working on our business plan. If all goes well, we’re planning to launch the company with the next six month to a year. That’s our goal. 

For once, life is going well for not only everyone around me, but for me as well. I’m the happiest I’ve been in years. Sure, I didn’t achieve my goal of marriage or parenthood, but I now have new goals. I’ve accomplished two of them and that was repairing my credit and buying a house. I’m well on my way to starting my business. So far, I’ve fulfilled my promise to Angel and I plan to continue to do so. This is for you Angel! I hope you’re proud of me!

The End


End file.
